Diamond in the Rough Part 3
by Moonchild707
Summary: Bella is back in Forks with her adoptive family, and is now a junior in high school. What happens when her world is turned upside down and life as she knows it takes a turn for the worst? How does Bella cope when someone she loves leaves her?
1. Chapter 1

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 1**

Lullaby

**A/N: Finally back with the much anticipated sequel to DIRT Parts 1&2! Here's chapter one of part 3, and I hope it satisfies your DITR craving. I know I had fun writing it, and I'm even posting chapter 1 even though I only have eight chapters complete (I usually wait for ten, just for some leeway). This chapter will be the introduction of the B/E relationship, although nothing too serious yet (she's only fifteen!) As stated in Part 2, this will share certain aspects with New Moon, and we'll see one of Stephenie Meyer's original Twilight villains closer to the end.**

**Please review, since I know so many of you have been waiting for this installment!**

BPOV

I sighed and looked in front of me at the mass of boxes that consumed the floor space in my room, wondering where to start. When did I get so much stuff? My old room in Alaska had seemed very compact and organized, but now, it felt like I had an entire shopping mall's worth of merchandise.

I hated moving.

I sighed and went to the first box I saw labelled with Alice's curvy writing as "clothes". Of course that one was in Alice's writing. I would have been very shocked to see anyone else's penmanship there, since Alice would kill anyone who packed my clothes for me, me included. God forbid I screw it up and make a wrinkle in the Versace shirt or Fendi pants she insisted I wear everywhere we went.

"No Bella!" cried Alice as my door burst open to let Pixie herself inside to unpack my clothes for me.

"I know." I said, holding my hands up in surrender as she snatched the box away from me and moved to my closet, grabbing at least five more on her way.

"Start in the far left hand corner and move down." She suggested, making me nod and move over to my box that said "books".

"Thanks Alice." I said happily, moving to my three full boxes of books that I'd brought down from Alaska. We were back in Forks again, since my family couldn't go anywhere else in North America without raising suspicion with the people that lived there.

"Anytime Bella." Said Alice kindly, hanging each pair of pants by colour and style.

She should open a store.

I walked over to my bookshelf and started to arrange my books carefully on the large wooden shelf dad had given me from his study in Alaska, putting the author names and dates all in order, just how I liked it. I'd been doing this for four years now, ever since I was eleven years old, and I wasn't changing that now just because we moved.

"Rosalie?" called Alice gently from the closet as my Austen books were placed most carefully on the shelf. Rose popped her head in and smiled at me as she walked to Alice in the closet.

"Can you help her?" asked Alice, glancing at me. "It'll take her all day."

"Of course." Said Rose, moving to my boxes of things we'd moved from Alaska. A lot had been put into storage since they were from my younger days, and I was fifteen now- not one for dolls and stuffed animals. I kept the butterfly from when I was six, and that was about it.

"Thanks Rose." I said, smiling at her. I loved Rose.

"Anytime honey." She said, running to the large wooden desk I adored so much, setting my pens and pencils on top.

"Now you'll be done in about half an hour." Said Alice, clapping her little hands happily in the closet.

"Yeah." I said, distracted as I put my Brontë collection onto the shelf too, loving my classics.

"Don't worry about it Bella." Said Alice exasperatedly, coming out from her closet spree. I frowned and shoved some more books onto the shelf, worrying about it anyways.

Alice always knew what my problem was, even when I didn't say anything about it.

"We'll be there with you this time, and I don't even know if Forks High has a janitor's closet big enough to lock you in." she soothed.

"Still." I said quietly, glancing at my sister.

"Still nothing. Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Edward and I will all be there, so there's nothing to worry about." She chirped.

"They know me." I said, mortified. Lauren Malory and Jessica Stanley still lived here as far as I knew, and I had better things to do than face them.

"And we know you too." Said Alice, going back to her closet. Rose kissed my cheek as she passed by, reassuring me of my safety.

I didn't want to go back to mainstream school, but I knew my family had to _look _human if I wanted to graduate here.

"Okay." I said gently, putting more and more books on the shelf until it was full.

"That's the spirit!" cried Alice, sounding like a cheerleader on crack. I swear she'd be the one to discover how to get vampires high.

Good God. Alice on crack would be a sight to behold. I think we'd all die.

"Done." Said Alice, holding open my newly arranged closet, complete with three new outfits from our trip down. Alice just _had_ to stop at every designer store we passed, no matter how many times she'd been in it. That was the first and last time I drove over long distances with Alice and Jasper instead of Edward.

"Thanks Ali." I said, making Alice come and kiss my cheek, just like she always did before she sprinted downstairs to tell everyone about my new closet arrangements. I knew that no one but Jasper would listen to her rambling.

"Thanks Rose." I said again when I turned around and saw a pile of empty boxes instead of a pile of things that needed to be unpacked. Rose came over and smiled, looking at me carefully before she smiled and kissed my cheek just as Alice had, watching me.

"You be good." She said gently, making me snort with laughter.

"You'll be back in like a few hours and I'm not two." I said, making her smile. I was staying home with Edward while they all went hunting before school. Edward had opted to run here instead of driving his Volvo, so he got to hunt on the way.

"I know." Said Rose quietly, looking thoughtful.

"You're growing up." she noted sadly, looking me over. I blushed and nodded, hugging her tightly.

"Love you." I said, making her smile again.

"Love you too baby." She said, sounding every bit like the mother she always was to me. Mom and Rose were both my mothers, and I loved them both.

"See you soon." She said, smiling as she dashed out and met Em in the yard, where he was rocking back and forth impatiently as she spoke with me. I watched out the window as he stuck his tongue out at me before Rose came and snatched it, holding onto it tightly before letting go when he protested. Em was still a kid at heart, and I knew he always would be. Rosalie waved before Emmett dragged her into the trees to find something to satiate their thirst.

I waited until I was sure Edward and I were alone before I sighed and moved to my perfectly made bed, falling into it. The house was very quiet now that Emmett wasn't home to rile things up, and it let me worry more about the school I was being dragged to with my brothers and sisters.

What would happen if Lauren and Jessica were there? Would they hate me like they did in the first grade or would they have gotten over that by now? What would they say to Edward and the others when they saw how beautiful they were? Would _they_ get Edward's attention instead of some other girl I actually liked? Maybe they'd think we were together and get jealous…

Ugh.

Too many possibilities and too many _probabilities. _Edward had to find someone sooner or later, and I was secretly hoping for later ever since I found myself madly crushing on my supposed brother…

Ew.

Edward was _not _my brother. People didn't like their _brothers_ in that way. I sighed again before I listened to the silence around me, just as the piano started to play.

My lullaby sounded through the house and I smiled hugely, remembering how much that song meant to me, especially considering who was playing it.

Edward had created that for me right after Tanya's departure when I was only 11 in Alaska, and ever since then, I played it every night before bed thanks to the CD he'd made me for my birthday that year. He always made me CDs, but this one had been special because of my song.

Bella's Lullaby.

I smiled to myself and stood up carefully, going down the stairs to see Edward, where he was playing music on his piano. I saw him there, all alone in the living room on top of the raised part on the floor where his piano always was, his eyebrows pulled together as he read his old sheet music carefully.

"Good afternoon." He said to me gently, making me blush and smile. He watched me curiously as I stood there like an idiot, just staring at his perfection…

God, I needed to get over there or else this was going to get awkward. He smirked at me and patted the spot beside him, letting me go over and sit down with him.

"Hi." I said quietly, making him chuckle and pass me a sheet of music.

His duet.

"Want to play?" he asked, pointing at the piano. Somehow, my new teenage mind got the wrong impression, but I knew what he meant and nodded, getting ready to play the high part of the song. He and I began to play, and he watched me instead of his fingers.

"You're getting better." He noted, smiling at me. I was excellent on the piano, but nothing compared to Edward and Rosalie. They were both masters at piano, and I could never hope to get that good at it, no matter how much Edward taught me. I played the simple music easily, loving the sound of us playing together instead of one at a time.

"Good." Said Edward when I didn't screw up one part that always got me.

"Thanks." I mumbled, concentrating on my fingers as the music played.

"The piano sounds better with two people." He said quietly, letting us play the long song in silence after that.

That was one thing Rosalie had pointed out to me that proved that Edward really liked me- even if it wasn't in the way I wanted. Before, he'd called the piano "my piano" instead of "our piano" like he called it now, which meant that he thought I had a share in his precious instrument. I loved how he wanted me to feel welcome to it, and sighed, relaxing as we played the closing notes.

"Thanks." I said, making him smile.

"What next?" he asked gently, looking down at me. I avoided his gaze and he smiled, knowing what I wanted.

"Clair De Lune?" he guessed, making me smile and nod as he obliged and started to play, his fingers looking light and airy when they dusted over the delicate keys. I listened as my favourite Debussy piece flowed through the air and made me almost sleepy as the notes flowed around us.

"I've written another duet." He said when he finished the song, making me smile.

"Let's go." I said eagerly, watching as he took out his sheet music, getting ready for us to play together until the family came home.

**A/N: So this story will be written a bit differently than Parts 1 and 2 were. Both of those started with something dramatic (the abuse and the mainstream school thing), but this one will pick up in the drama section later on in the story. In the other parts, Bella was so overloaded with stress and now I want to show an easier side of her. Of course, there'll be some things to spice it up until the main event takes place, but until then, it'll be an easier story. Don't get too used to it though, since drama WILL come. I want fluff before the storm this time, not storm before the fluff.**

**BTW, the reasoning behind the Cullens returning to Forks instead of someplace else will be revealed in future chapters. So don't ask.**

**Review, and I force my fingers to type faster!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 2**

Sandwiches

**A/N: Wow guys. 87 reviews for chapter one... I'm so pleased with the reception! I hope we can keep the numbers high for this one, especially with that as the first count! That's a lot to live up to, but I know a lot more people favourited/alerted it, so I know we can hit all sorts of record numbers here...**

**Thanks for the kind comments, and I'm glad I have so many loyal followers coming over from Parts 1 and 2. It makes writing long stories like these ones worthwhile, especially with so many people wanting updates. I'll try and update as fast as I can, but as with the other stories, school is in session now, so DITR takes the back burner for now... although it is the weekend now... hm.**

**Once again, please review! This chapter has some silliness in it, but I wanted some classic moments between Emmett and Bella as well as Edward and Bella, so I could definitely see Emmett doing something like this out of sheer curiosity. Enjoy!**

BPOV

Our fingers traveled gently over the ivory keys, each of us trying to keep in rhythm with the complex notes Edward had written on the sheet in front of us. My brow was furrowed in concentration as we played the insanely long piece of music, Edward looking more focused than ever as he sat and showed off his natural musical talent. His long, pale fingers glided lightly over his keys, his golden eyes flicking to me every so often to see if I was keeping up.

Neither of us spoke while we played, and soon, I felt myself being drawn into the haunting beauty of the song he'd written specifically for moments like this, when we were alone and at the mercy of the piano. I felt as if my psyche was in with the music instead of out in the real world, and I was content to simply sit and let the string of notes consume me instead of facing reality. Song-worlds were so much nicer than the real world.

Edward had written this with emotion and feeling- that much was obvious. The theme was sombre, yet it contained undertones of happiness. I couldn't explain it, but I felt myself becoming more and more intoxicated by it, and I felt my fingers simply doing what they wanted, altering my half of the music. Edward kept going with his side, and soon, I found myself composing something of my own- the harmonies for his original duet.

"Nice." He commented quietly as I let my fingers move with minds of their own. I played on, falling more and more in love with the sounds we were creating, not even noticing the door opening.

"Aw." Said a small voice behind me, making me frown as I played.

"Quiet Alice." Scolded Edward gently as I heard the rest of the family filing in. Alice complied and fell silent, simply sitting in an armchair close to us as we played the song we were writing. Emmett came in next with Rose by his side, both silent as corpses as mom and dad came in as well, mom staring in wonder as we played. Jasper came and sat closest to us, trying to read what we were playing. Normally, I didn't like to make a show of mine and Edward's piano session, but there was no way this one was stopping for anyone- much less my family.

Soon enough, Edward's part came to an end, and I made the sad choice to end my half as well, stopping just as he played his last note.

"Wow." Said Edward, turning to look at me. I sighed and looked at the odd keys that had drawn such beauty from my mind.

"Yeah." I said, glancing at him. I glanced at my enthused, nearly tearful mother and blushed beet red in mortification, knowing that she'd caught me playing- something I avoided like the plague.

"That was lovely." She said gently. "Is it new?"

"Yes." Said Edward, smiling at me. I nodded and she beamed, looking between us.

"When did you write that one?" she asked gently, always so curious about our music.

"I wrote a duet last night, but Bella just wrote her own part." He said quietly, smiling proudly at me. If at all possible, I turned even redder and mom gasped, looking as if she'd seen a miracle.

"Oh baby." She said, getting up to give me a congratulatory hug.

"That was absolutely beautiful." She complimented.

"Thanks mom." I said, blushing red to the roots of my dark hair, but hugging her back nonetheless.

"I love that one." She decided, letting me go to look me over. Edward smiled and chuckled slightly, taking out another blank sheet for compositions.

"I'll go decipher those notes." He said, grinning at me. Edward often did things like that- created at his piano and wrote it down later on.

But this time it was _my _notes he'd go write down.

"Okay." I whispered, watching as he left the bench in one swift movement, literally disappearing up the staircase.

"Nice Bells." Commented Em, looking at me with brotherly pride.

"Thanks." I said, embarrassed again. Jasper sent me a wave of confidence and I smiled at him thankfully, knowing he could sense my gratitude.

"You have to do that more often." Decided mom, obviously still very pleased.

"Maybe." I agreed gently, watching as she smiled and nodded in encouragement.

"Is your room unpacked?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. Alice and Rose helped." I replied.

"Good." She said with a nod, looking me over.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, standing to make me food. No matter how often I insisted that I was old enough to make my own food, mom always wanted to make it for me.

"Sure." I said gently, knowing it made her day when I allowed her to cook for me.

"I'll be back." She vowed, earning her an appreciative chuckle from dad. He came and gave me a quick hug too, smiling.

"It was a lovely song, dear." He said quietly, smiling. I blushed again.

"Thanks dad." I said, knowing everyone would tell me that. Rosalie smiled and nodded from her place, agreeing with dad before I was hugged by my pixie sister faster than I could register.

"You're a mini-Beethoven!" she cried, happy and bouncy.

"Sure Ali." I soothed, having adapted the simply "nod and agree" response from Jasper. It was the best way to deal with an excited Alice, regardless of if you agreed or not. Just nod and say yes, and you'd make her day.

"Maybe you could be a child prodigy." She mused, earning a small, indignant snarl from Rose.

"Oh relax." Said Alice, brushing Rose aside. Rosalie simply eyed Alice carefully, almost as if determining her seriousness.

"Yeah." Said Rose, remembering the talk she'd been given after going into overprotective mode a few months ago. I was a big girl now, and there were things I had to do on my own, even if being a child prodigy wasn't one of them.

"Seriously though." Said Alice excitedly.

"Thanks." I said, knowing that was her version of "it's lovely". She just gave me a sly wink, dashing off to perch herself atop Jasper's lap.

"Here dear." Said mom, coming in with a plate and a can of soda for me. The plate had some carrot sticks and a sandwich- perfect for lunch.

"Thanks." I said for the millionth time today as I took a giant bite out of the turkey sandwich.

"Bella?" asked Emmett, a nasty look in his eye.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking at my bear of a brother carefully.

"Have you ever actually_ seen _a turkey?" he asked, amused and eager.

"You brought me to the petting zoo, Em." I reminded him, my mind going back to the disastrous episode at the indoor zoo in Alaska.

"Oh yeah." Said Em, chuckling at the memory.

"Remember the turkey tried to attack you?" I asked, making him snort.

"Yeah, and it nearly broke its beak." He said, reminiscing. I giggled, remembering the enraged, offended turkey that had chased my brother down with the intent of harming him, simply because he was a vampire, and therefore, a threat.

"Rose?" asked Emmett, glancing at his wife. Rosalie looked over warily.

"Yes?" she asked carefully, giving him the once over for signs of harm.

"What do you think a vampire turkey would be like?" he asked, earning stares from everyone in the room besides Alice, who'd obviously seen this coming.

"Are you serious?" asked Jasper, looking stunned.

"Hell yeah!" he cried, seriously wondering.

"Like a rabid bird on crack." I suggested, earning a snort of laughter from him "And one who craves blood." I added.

"A bloodthirsty, rabid turkey." He mused, getting a clear mental image. I heard Edward laugh from upstairs, seeing Emmett's portrayal in his head.

"Wow." I said, picturing it myself. My mind was flooded with grotesque images of a rampaging turkey.

"And you're eating one." Said Emmett, grimacing at my innocent sandwich.

"Mmm." I teased, taking a big bite. He frowned and crinkled his nose ever so slightly, looking morbidly curious.

"What does that taste like?" he asked carefully.

"Like a turkey sandwich?" I said questioningly. What did he expect me to say? Like grizzlies?

"Thanks genius." He said sarcastically, coming over to sit beside me on the piano bench. I stared as he sat down and bent over to eye the sandwich on the plate. Before anyone could stop him, he gently picked it up and examined the meal, sniffing it gently.

"Disgusting." He said, his face contorted in revulsion. He continued to examine it as I took a large drink of soda, watching my strange brother closely.

"Can I eat?" I asked, asking for it back. He held up a finger to silence me, continuing his examination.

"It's bread, turkey, lettuce, cheese and mustard." I said exasperatedly, wondering how someone so old couldn't know what went on a sandwich.

"Yeah." He said shortly, standing up with it. He glanced up at the stairwell, obviously thinking something to Edward. Edward let out a barking laugh and I frowned, wondering what Emmett's brain was subjecting my sandwich to. He nodded resolutely, and before anyone could protest, he opened his mouth and shoved the entire sandwich into it, shocking us all.

"Oh gross." Said Rosalie, staring at Emmett carefully. He went paler than normal, but he chewed dutifully and swallowed the entire thing almost whole with a shudder.

"That is _nasty_." He said firmly as he glanced at me. Alice tinkling laughter came from Jasper's lap, where she sat, amused and incredibly giddy.

"Did you just eat a _sandwich?"_ demanded Jasper, incredulous and absolutely disgusted.

"Mhm." Said Emmett, looking ready to hurl. Alice giggled again and stared at Emmett in shock.

"Do _not _try and kiss me until you hunt again." grumbled Rose, staring at her incredibly immature husband.

"'Kay." He said gently, sounding very ill indeed. He suddenly turned a brave face on me and I frowned.

"Give me that." He ordered, reaching for my soda. To amused and eager to pass this up, I handed him the almost empty can, watching as he downed the rest of the bubbly drink. Edward came downstairs now too, just as Emmett let out a loud belch, sounding very manly.

"Nice." Said Alice, giggling madly. Mom and dad came in, having heard that belch that most definitely didn't come from me.

"What in the world is going on?" demanded mom, looking around at all of us.

"Emmett stole my lunch." I said, giggling as Emmett stood there, looking ready to be sick.

"Go to the washroom." Ordered dad, knowing the signs. We all knew what happened when vampires ate human food…

Before anyone could speak, Emmett dashed off to the nearest bathroom with dad on his tail, just as the rest of us roared with laughter at poor Emmett's adventures with the sandwich.

**A/N: So there's some classic Emmett moments for you... he was simply curious as to what a turkey tasted like... and the opportunity arose. I normally don't condone dumb Emmett-ness, but this wasn't _dumb _per se. He was curious... and Edward ate pizza in Twilight.**

**Now, off you go to review Emmett and his sandwich escapades!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 3**

Elephant

**A/N: So here's chapter 3 for all you eager, impatient reviewers (I love you all!) Someone asked why Love Me Tender was updated before this one, and the only reason for that is because someone had the nerve to send me a particularly irritating and rude review (to CriticalReviewer, if you're reading, the comment for your review came out much worse because I was mad... although my point got through rather harshly, I didn't mean to be so nasty about it, so YOU get an apology... if you're not reading this, well I'll say it in chapter 20 of Love Me Tender... It was much nicer than the other review, and it was wrong of me to lash out so angrily... the comments were more intended for the other person, but came out in your paragraph). Phew... with that out, please note that school IS in fact in session once again (cue the pitchforks...), so that comes first. Some people were impatient since there was a few days between chapter 2 and now, but please note that if I update frequently and get bad marks, then I'll get grounded or something from the computer and you'll end up waiting months for an update until I can prove myself to my mother... yikes.**

**Anyways, I have a challenge for this story, although it's nothing serious... I just want to see if we can make it to 1500 reviews by the end (we're on the right track so far). I'll give a review count update with most of the chapters so we can see how we're doing... It's just a personal goal of mine that I've had forever, and this seems like the perfect story to do it with! Right now, there's 154 reviews.**

**Enjoy the EPOV!**

EPOV

Returning to Forks was something I never thought we'd do until about forty years from now, yet here we were- all eight of us back in Bella's tiny hometown. I sat by her bedside, as per usual, simply watching the gentle rise and fall of her breathing, listening to the steady beating of her heart and smelling the intoxicating aroma that permeated the air around her. It was nearly three in the morning, and naturally, the human was in a deep, restful sleep in her bed, off in her own little dream-world where no one else was permitted.

Not even me, the mind-reader.

Her breathing was as steady as it ever was when she replenished her energy, and I savoured the sight, knowing it was a distinctly human thing. How I wished I could sleep and dream as she did…

But that was an impossibility. I shouldn't have entertained such absurd notions, yet having someone do just that as I sat and watched made me think of how different it would be.

Once again, I found myself thinking deeply on my favourite human, observing her gentle features as she slept. How I could see the changes that had come into play over the years, changing her from an innocent first grader into this maturing fifteen year old beauty. Her nose had gone from a cute little button shaped appendage into a straight, very soft, grown up nose. Her bright, curious eyes had softened as well, losing some of their childlike innocence and gaining some knowledge and experience. Her hair had grown and become thicker over the years while her face took on a heart shape, as opposed to the little round face of her youth.

Although her face had changed most drastically from a child's into that of a young woman, even more drastic changes were happening elsewhere on her body.

As hard as I tried not to notice these, every time Bella walked, I saw the gentle curves she seemed to gain. Children are all the same, no matter what their gender is, all seeming rather straight and flat- a simple shape. But now, Bella was truly letting the world know that she wasn't anywhere close to being male. She had recently gained some curves in her hips, a defined waist, and dare I even _think _it- a bust line. She was undoubtedly an appealing girl, and she would be talk the high school, especially amongst the male population.

A small snarl escaped me at the mere thought of a boy trying to "be friends" with her. They were all corrupt and horny.

How I despised high school.

Bella, however, was oblivious to my sudden burst of rage towards our potential male classmates and she slept on, not caring that I let out a small snarl as my imagination got the better of me. I watched as she shifted, sending more of that delectable scent my way. My mouth watered at the sudden impact, but I felt no monstrous urges surfacing, rendering me quite proud of myself.

As I glanced at the clock, I started to become eager, watching as the numbers moved sluggishly from 3:12 to 3:13, starting the sleep-talk portion of my nightly entertainment. Anytime after three was when Bella began to mumble and debate in her dreams, providing me with endless amusement and maddening curiosity as to what she was talking to.

I watched.

"Edward?" she asked groggily, shocking me. Had she woken without me noticing?

"That's not the pencil." She grumbled, abolishing my worries of wakefulness and earning her an indulgent chuckle.

"What is it then?" I asked quietly, just loud enough for her to hear me. Sometimes, she'd converse with me, if I could play my cards right.

"That's a carrot." She explained gently, sounding rather irritated. "Mom's carrot."

"Where did Esme get the carrot?" I asked, smiling like a madman.

"From her garden." She said confidently, earning her a small laugh once more.

"Is there a rabbit in her garden, perchance?" I asked, knowing she'd answer.

"Maybe." She mumbled, turning to face me. Her brow was pulled into a large frown as her bottom lip jutted out in a perfect pout.

"Emmett has his elephant there too." She grumbled defensively.

"What colour is Emmett's elephant?" I asked gently, leaning my head on her pillows. Alice's tinkling laugh was heard from downstairs as Jasper and Emmett's game paused, allowing them to hear her response.

"Pink." She said nonchalantly, making Emmett snort.

"Why is it pink?" I asked.

"Because he keeps it in the sun." she said, speaking as if that were the most obvious reasoning on the planet.

"It's sunburned?" I asked, making sure I had this right.

"No." she said gently, confusing me.

"It's painted." She decided, nodding to herself.

"Alright." I agreed, picturing Emmett's pink-painted elephant.

"Emmett, your elephant ruined mom's carrots." She said, amused, turning to her other side, not facing me anymore.

"Yeah, I'll get that damn elephant out of there as soon as I beat Jazz on Resident Evil." Said Emmett from downstairs, making me smile. Bella mumbled some nonsensical babble for a moment longer before she fell silent, dreaming of Emmett's elephant.

"Done talking?" I asked, hoping she'd speak again.

To my dismay, Bella remained unmoving and silent as she entered yet another phase of her sleep cycle, a deeper, calmer sleep that she needed to keep herself healthy. I watched her face for signs of speech again, sighing and creeping into the empty space beside her on her bed when she didn't utter a single peep, her body returning to the silent and steady processing it had taken on before. Her heart rate remained slow and steady and her breaths deep as she laid there, oblivious to my presence beside her.

"Mm." she said softly, smacking her lips gently. I chuckled, a low rumble echoing through the room before Bella shifted again, frowning in her sleep.

Another talking episode?

God I was pathetic.

To my shock, no more speech came, but when she mumbled again, she shifted violently, smacking right onto my side.

The warmth was staggering as her heated body plastered itself against my icy flesh, sending my mind into a frenzy. Her blankets made her body even warmer than she normally was, and the fact that she remained utterly unmoving against me made things even more distracting. Her small arm snaked right around my middle as she hugged me like some sort of teddy bear, leaving me to attempt to pry her off of me without waking her.

This was so improper.

I, being raised in the earliest part of the twentieth century, should have known better than to get in bed with a lady- especially one I lived with. I should have known my coolness would have attracted her like a magnet, considering how warm she was under her blankets. I was supposed to be a gentleman, not some pervert who jumped in bed with young girls less than a quarter of my age.

Century year old vampires were not meant to be in the same bed as sleeping fifteen year old girls...

"Oh relax Edward." Scolded Jasper from downstairs, sensing my flustered panic at how close she was to me.

"Relax?" I hissed incredulously, making him sigh as he dashed up the stairs, coming into the room as well. As exasperated as he was, he couldn't hide the amusement on his face when he saw her hugging me as she was.

"Help me move her." I pleaded, looking at him with the saddest eyes I could manage.

Good God, I was turning into Alice.

"She's fine where she is." He said, amusement seeping into every word.

"Jasper." I said, annoyed and incredibly awkward.

"She's sleeping. Let her be." He said sadly, looking at his baby sister closely.

"I shouldn't be in _bed _with her!" I whispered loudly, making Bella frown slightly as she shifted that much closer. Jasper snorted loudly, muffling him voice before he woke her.

"You make it sound dirty." He said, glancing at the sleepy human. "She's sleeping, you're watching. Just because she wants to snuggle doesn't make it bad." He said, looking happily at Bella.

"Snuggle?" I asked incredulously, trying in vain not to wake her as I attempted to pry her grip off of my shirt.

"Edward." Scolded Jasper, unhappy with where my thoughts were.

Now my mind was definitely in the gutter.

"Are we snuggling?" I demanded, whispering as loudly as I dared. Jasper rolled his golden eyes exasperatedly and went to the other side of the bed, gently prying her grip off of me as he laid down instead. As if she felt some sort of magnetic pull, she rolled over and grabbed him the same way she'd grabbed me.

I stared as he smirked and looked at me, indifferent to her "snuggling".

"You'd better go tell Alice she has some competition." He teased, snickering as he brushed the hair out of her face. She pressed her sleeping face into his side and I jumped out of the bed, very embarrassed and shocked at the sudden turn of events.

_Pull yourself together Edward, _I thought to myself

I nodded to myself and decided that the nightly observations were sufficient for tonight, marching out of Bella's room. Jasper followed moments after, making sure Bella was tucked in properly before he came to my side and clapped me on the back, passing me to go downstairs.

I simply stood in the hallway like an idiot, unsure what to do with myself now. Everyone had undoubtedly heard my little panic attack in the bedroom, and if I could have blushed, I'd have looked like Bella on a bad day.

"Edward, come downstairs." Said Carlisle quietly, amused and laughing as the rest of them were. Rosalie was even laughing- a shocker considering how much she despised men thinking of Bella in any way, much less a man nearly 7 times her age.

"Come on prude." Said Emmett, amused with my hesitation on the stairs. I snarled and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where the family was convened for a late night discussion.

**A/N. Snicker.**

**Poor Edward and his misfortunes in Bella's bed... I thought about that as I was writing the second part... when Bella started to grow up, he'd definitely notice and if he decided to crawl into bed, she'd get close. I had to embarrass Edward at one point in the story, and now seemed as good a time as ever. Leave it to him to overreact about everything and anything.**

**Please review so I can post chapter 4!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 4**

Discussion

**A/N: Poor Edward last chapter... I laughed as I wrote that one, getting very clear mental images of his facial expressions... I suppose the version in my head was much more melodramatic than the actual events, but whatever. **

**Here's chapter 4, another one by Edward. This one's about the discussion started at the end of chapter 3, where Carlisle and the rest go into overprotective (and in Carlisle's case, doctor) mode. I know that it's been a while (storyline-wise) since Part 1's abuse, but you've got to remember that abuse isn't something that can be replaced, even in Fanfiction world. I like to write as realistically as I can, and Bella would still remember some things from her hometown. She spent the first six years of her life in Forks, and in this chapter, we find out why they're back in the first place.**

**Anyways, please read and review as you all do so kindly... this isn't a hugely dramatic chapter, but it's not pure fluff either. The fluff will resume though, so don't panic. Just a little refresher: fluff first, drama and angst second. The majority will fall under the angsty category, although I LOVE HAPPY ENDINGS! so remember that...**

**R&R!!!**

EPOV

The entire kitchen was laughing as I walked in, my head held high in an attempt to preserve whatever remained of my pride and dignity. I perched myself to the left of my mother, in my regular seat, watching as my father attempted to compose himself enough to speak seriously to us since according to his mind, he had a serious matter to discuss.

"So Eddie." Said Emmett, turning to me. I turned to him, haughty and guarded as I prepared to defend my injured ego.

"What?" I snapped, not so polite. That only increased his intense amusement as he looked me over for a moment, pondering me. Before I could get to in-depth with his thoughts, I got a mindful of Rosalie's breasts, making me recoil.

"That's right. Keep out." He said, perfectly at ease while screaming about sex with his wife in his mind. I tuned him out, earning me even more amusement from my burly sibling. Jasper simply sat and watched with a giggling Alice beside him, leaving Rosalie to examine her fingernails as she pretended that little scene upstairs never happened.

"Is Eddie feeling a little repressed lately?" taunted my biggest brother, earning him a snarl as more embarrassment rolled of me in torrents. Jasper simply eased it silently, making me sigh in relief.

Thank you Jasper.

"No." I said simply, earning a booming laugh that threatened to wake Bella. Rosalie smacked him pointedly, earning her a sheepish glance before. Emmett smirked devilishly as he glanced at me, making me groan as his statement flowed through his head loud and clear.

"_Been tickling Elmo lately?" _he taunted in his head, knowing he'd get a rise out of me.

"Stop that." I snapped, gaining everyone's attention.

"Emmett enough." Said Carlisle firmly, looking at his son closely. Emmett shot me a manic smile before he turned to Carlisle, who seemed to have gotten quite a the handle on himself.

"We have a matter at hand that will need to be addressed as soon as possible." He said calmly, looking at each of us in turn. I tried to be polite, so I stayed out of his head, letting him tell us how he wanted it to be told.

"What's wrong?" asked Esme, always the concerned mother. Carlisle shot her a genuine smile before he shook his head, making her frown deepen.

"Nothing's _wrong_, per se." he said simply, looking at his wife carefully.

"This is the place Bella grew up in." he said quietly, earning an indignant snarl from Rosalie as she glared at Carlisle for bringing up that delicate matter.

"Charles Swan is still in prison." She said simply, looking around the table. Rosalie had done extensive research and had even hired a private investigator to come to Forks, ensuring Charles Swan was nowhere to be found.

"I know that, and so does Bella." Said Carlisle quietly. "However, with this town comes other issues we'll have to face."

"Like what?" demanded Rose, always defensive when it came to Bella.

"Like the fact that she's known here." Said Carlisle simply. "None of those kids will remember you, but they'll most likely remember Bella." He said, referring to Rosalie's first grade placement last time we were in Forks- for all of a week, give or take a day or two.

"They won't bother her." Said Emmett loudly, gently flexing biceps to prove his point. Carlisle eyed him carefully and sighed, looking at us all in turn.

"You know better than I do how catty high school girls can be." He said gently.

"So what if they know her?" asked Rosalie indignantly. "She'll stick with us, and we'll be fine. She'll graduate in a few years, then we're out of here." She said.

"Bella doesn't think that way and you know it Rosalie." Said Carlisle sadly, looking at his eldest daughter closely.

"She'll be overly concerned about their opinions. She's always been a sensitive child." He said gently.

"She shouldn't worry." Said Alice quietly, piping up for the first time. Jasper just nodded and sat back, watching his wife carefully.

"They'll know her, but they've almost forgotten her now. Only a few will remember her, and she'll be fine." Said Alice confidently, having seen it already. In Alice's mind, I saw two girls in particular remembering Bella and asking her to sit with them at lunch.

"I know Alice, but there's always potential for change." Said my father reasonably.

"Carlisle, Bella will be fine, end of story." Said Rose firmly, looking unwaveringly at Carlisle.

"Rosalie, things don't always go how we will them to." He said. "We may be immortal, but we are most definitely _not _omnipotent." He said sadly.

"I know that." She said exasperatedly. "But we _do _know that Bella will have us with her this time, and no one messes with us."

"Nor are we omniscient, Rose." He reminded her. Rosalie sat back, silenced for now as she plotted ways to avoid awkward situations for Bella at school.

"Not only are the kids something to worry about, I don't know how she'll react to being back here once the novelty wears off. She hasn't had the best experiences here, and those won't be simply erased with time, as some of her past has been." He mumbled, speaking almost to himself.

"We'll give her new memories." Said Emmett, always the optimist. Carlisle nodded and sighed, looking at each of us in turn.

"Why did we even come back here?" said Rosalie suddenly, appalled at the realization that this town would remind Bella of her not-so-great past.

"We went over this, Rosie." Said Emmett gently.

"I don't want Bella moving countries while she's still in high school, and this is the only place that no one would remember us." Said Carlisle gently.

"Other than the place in Tennessee." She said pointedly, thinking of our forest home deep in the wilderness of the southern state.

"Rosalie, that place is completely secluded from society, and not exactly the best place to raise a child." Scolded Esme gently.

"Yeah." Said Rose, simply examining the wooden tabletop instead of meeting her parents gaze. Rosalie was one person who didn't like moving around, and this hadn't been the best move for our family, even if it was the only option.

"All I'm saying is that we need to be cautious and careful when we're around here. Bella will remember things from her past very easily, if I know her correctly, and she's never been a very open person." Said Carlisle softly.

"We need to make sure she feels comfortable here, despite what's happened." He said, an air of finality in his tone. We were all silent until Jasper sighed, looking around the table.

"I've sensed no fear so far." He said in his quiet voice, making Carlisle nod. That was one of the perks of being as quiet as Jasper was- when you spoke, people took you seriously.

"That could all change in a heartbeat." Said Carlisle.

"I'll tell you if she's feeling off." Said Jasper firmly, his mind resolved to make this new change as easy as he could on Bella.

"Would she talk to you again if the need arose?" asked Carlisle, turning to me. I distinctly remembered the little chats Bella and I had after she'd upset herself over the shrink Carlisle had set up.

"Maybe." I said, unsure of how this new fifteen year old Bella would react to "chatting" with me- the old man who'd climbed into bed with her.

"Well, we need to leave that option open for her, since it's familiar." He mumbled, speaking to himself once again. We waited patiently as he deliberated in his mind, going between choices so fast I couldn't get a good read on them.

"What happens if someone says something?" asked Emmett worriedly, making me frown.

No one would even _try _to say something impudent to Bella.

"Then she deals with that." Said Carlisle simply, bashing my resolve to pummel any puny human who even dared approach her the wrong way.

"Bella doesn't _deal, _Carlisle, and you know it." Said Rosalie sadly.

"She will if we support her." Said Esme gently, seeing the stronger side of her daughter's low self esteem.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see." Said Rose sadly, looking around the circle. Carlisle nodded and without another word, Alice stood from her spot and kissed Jasper, leaving for an early morning hunt. I assumed that meant the meeting was over, and Emmett and Rosalie also took that as their cue to leave, going back to unpacking the last of their belongings. Jasper nodded to everyone and stood as well, meandering out of the dining room to follow his wife on her hunt, leaving me alone with my parents.

"What went on upstairs?" asked Esme curiously, turning to me with her brows raised. I stared at my mother for a long moment before I sighed, fidgeting awkwardly under the table.

"Nothing." I said quietly, mumbling to the tabletop. Carlisle smirked and left us alone as Esme frowned indignantly.

"Edward." She scolded, reminding me of how much she hated people sheltering her like they did.

"Bella grabbed me in her sleep." I admitted, mortified.

I felt like a perverted peeping Tom.

"And it made you uncomfortable?" she guessed, making me nod. She kissed my cheek and ran her hand through my hair affectionately, truly acting the part of mother.

"She meant nothing by it, dear." She assured me, making me nod quickly.

"It was still wrong." I said sadly, making her giggle quietly.

"Let it go." She advised, kissing my cheek as she watched me.

"Yeah." I said, still incredibly embarrassed.

"Times have changed, and so has etiquette." Said Esme gently. "There's no shame in watching her sleep as you do, and your intentions are nothing but honourable."

"Thanks mom." I said, making her smile at her success. Maybe I wasn't a pervert, as I'd thought.

"I love you dear." She said, getting up. She walked out swiftly, leaving me to my thoughts at the table.

"Love you too mom." I murmured, hearing her thoughts soar as my whispered words reached her, going straight to her heart.

**A/N: So there's a bit of Esme/Edward fluff for all of you who like the parental interaction. I always thought that Edward would have a special place with Esme, being her first "son", even if Edward is technically older than she is. Esme IS nine years older than Edward physically, so she gets to play mommy with him sometimes. PLUS, she gives good advice (in my mind, anyways). She always seemed like the honest, kind, practical one of the bunch.**

**Now, I hope you all understand the "Elmo" reference, since I don't have the time to explain it. If you don't and you're brave, maybe you could Google it or something, but you might get something inappropriate. If you don't understand (a family member read this and was very confused... long story short, it was freaking embarrassing), look at the context it's said in... not to mention EMMETT is the speaker... I really hope you get it... :S**

**Now, since I've updated two stories in one night (LMT ch 20 is up as well!) please review!!!**

**PS: I've decided that my "official" update days are going to be Saturdays, and by default Sundays. This weekend is Thanksgiving though, so I won't update this weekend. It will help a lot to have a set schedule for updating, especially with all my schoolwork and such.**

**REVIEW!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 5**

Seventies

**A/N: Yeah- it's not Saturday, yeah- it's Thanksgiving here in Canada, and yeah- I'm updating. Consider yourselves very lucky for getting an update before next Saturday, but I felt mean, making you all wait that long for a new chapter, and I got a very interesting review from one Twilighter29707. Thank her... and get well soon.**

**So, since it's 2:24 in the morning right now, I don't have much to say... but this one's for you, Twilighter29707: the only reviewer to ever coax an update out of me at such ungodly hours. Kudos to you.**

BPOV

The next few days passed like a blur for me, and before I knew it, it was Sunday- my last free day before I was going to try school for the third time in my life. I was trying not to think about that right now, but the attempt was fruitless. I couldn't concentrate on anything, got my cooking privileges revoked when I nearly burned myself on the oven door, had to abandon the piano lesson for that day when I got almost every note of my own song wrong, and I wasn't even allowed to help Alice unpack her clothes after I'd cut myself on the scissors I'd been using.

Edward had been acting awkward with me lately too, making things even weirder for me. When I asked Emmett about it, he just laughed and told me Edward needed to play with 'Elmo' some more, earning him a slap from Rosalie and an incredulous stare from me. Edward, thankfully, been out hunting then, and I was unable to even look him in the eye until yesterday, much to his confusion. Rosalie just told me he was feeling a little off, and sure enough, today was the first day he'd been back to normal, even if we were naturally the polar opposite of normal.

I was so nervous.

It was just past lunch time, and I was pacing the living room with nothing better to do since I wasn't allowed to do much. I knew I had books and countless other things to do upstairs, but how was I supposed to read when I couldn't even open a box without almost chopping my own finger off? With my luck I'd end up slicing my hand off with a giant paper cut or something like that. I settled for pacing around the room over and over again, knowing full well my entire family could hear my loud footsteps from upstairs. I walked around the furniture, praying I wouldn't fall and decapitate myself.

"Bella?" asked dad, his voice coming from the bottom of the stairs. The sudden noise made me jump and I lost my footing, sending myself sprawling to the floor.

"Are you alright?" asked dad, stunned and alarmed by my sudden fall. Red-faced and startled, I nodded and took his hand, standing as fast as I dared, not wanting to make another spectacle of myself.

"Thanks." I said, retracting my hand from his own. He watched me speculatively, just as he always did when I was flustered. When I went to start my pacing again, his cold, hard arm shot out and stopped me, pulling me into a hug.

"Will you come upstairs?" he asked me gently, making me smile and nod. I needed a distraction, and if he wanted to give me one, all the more power to him.

"Alright then." He said happily, ushering me gently to the stairs. I was a danger to myself as I walked up, stumbling more than once on the way to the second floor, where dad led the way to his new study, where he let me in and perched me on his dark brown leather couch. He had boxes strewn here and there, obviously in the midst of unpacking his large library of medical encyclopedias and journals he'd kept over his long 300 odd years.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, reminding me wholly of Edward. I sighed and turned to him, shrugging. As much as dad's study reminded me of a doctor's office, I always felt comfortable with the warm colours and all those old books.

"I think you do know." He mused, glancing over as he stretched unnecessarily, putting his arms behind his head. I sighed and nodded, hugging his middle tightly. I loved how cold my family felt to me, especially since I knew that meant comfort.

"School." I admitted in a very quiet whisper, making him nod and sigh as his arms found me instead of the back of his head.

"I thought so." He said triumphantly, not sounding the least bit concerned about sending me to that war zone.

"Please don't worry about it." He said gently, his voice soft and comforting as it always was. I frowned.

"I have to worry about it." I said reasonably, making him frown.

"Why is that?" he asked, his old mind already forming theories about it. I could tell.

"Because they know me." I said. "And schools have closets." I said ominously.

"No one will pull a closet stunt again." he said firmly, making me sigh and shrug.

"Third time's a charm, right?" I asked dryly, earning an appreciative chuckle.

"I believe that's how it goes." He admitted, looking down at me again.

"You know, having the others with you will make it better." He said, glancing out the window at the rain.

"I know." I said, my voice a small whisper as the idea of school settled like an unwelcome weight on my shoulders.

"They won't let anything happen to you." He assured, looking at me with his intense eyes.

"They can't help what they can't control." I said miserably, making him crack a small smile.

"We may not be omnipotent, but we do have some power." He said, defending his species.

"I know that, but still." I said, my mind still reeling over the what-ifs.

"Don't ponder it too much. It'll make things much easier for you, and you won't be so stressed about it." He suggested gently.

"Easier said than done, dad." I said wryly, knowing he never had to stress about school. I knew he had strange vampire things to stress about, but high school was not one of them.

"I'll admit, high school kids can be catty, but I'm sure they don't hold a candle to those ER nurses." He said with an appreciative shudder. I smirked unwillingly as dad reminisced.

"They fight over me, and I'm already married." He said with a small head shake, another chuckle coming out of his mouth.

"I'll bet mom just loves that." I said sarcastically, making him bark a loud laugh.

"I'm sure she does." He said, smiling down at me.

"Just like those school kids chase Edward." He said gently. A foreign emotion rose in my chest, earning dad an angry huff.

Jealousy.

Was I jealous? Weird.

"Not to mention when the boys horde Rosalie." He said again, ignoring my rude noises. I smirked, knowing how mad Emmett got when people tried to flirt with Rose.

"And Alice." He added.

"One time, when we were living in Tennessee, there was a boy at the high school in the 70s." said dad, smiling at me.

"That poor boy wanted nothing more than he wanted Alice to go on one date with him, but she kept turning him down, telling him she already had a boyfriend.

"The boy sent flowers and candies galore for her, and she always sent them back with a polite rejection, until one day, Jasper had enough of the poor kid." He said gently.

"What did he do?" I asked, morbidly curious. Had my kind, gentle brother lost his temper with his wife's suitor?

"Jasper found the boy in the cafeteria at lunch and instilled such fear in the boy, it drove him into hysterics and Jasper told him off rather colourfully. After the yelling, the poor kid collapsed in a dead faint and all five of them were sent home from school. We had to move after that." He said.

"Poor kid." I said, sympathizing with him. Of all my siblings, I'd never seen Jasper do more than raise his voice, and I knew an angry Jasper would be a sight to behold, if I did say so myself. That was something I never wanted to see, no matter how dire the situation. Jasper was never angry.

"Oh yes, Jasper was quite mad." Said dad, chuckling. I saw him sigh as he stood up suddenly and moved to the bookshelf, grabbing a small journal off the shelf. He flipped through the pages and grabbed a photo from one page, showing it to me.

There, in the small Polaroid photo were all my siblings, each of them dressed in 70s fashions. Alice and Rosalie had high-waist miniskirts with matching shirts, with Rose in some platform shoes and Alice in knee-high boots. Jasper stood next to Alice in his simple jeans and t shirts, Edward in the middle, dressed similarly. The last was Emmett, standing next to his wife in the most ridiculous outfit I'd ever seen. He stood in bell bottoms and a matching suit jacket, his short hair brushed to make it as long as it would go, and I even saw some fake sideburns on his cheeks, making me giggle. The entire ensemble was set off with a pair of huge sunglasses as he held Rose's waist, his classic smile plastered on his face.

"Wow." I said, giggling as I handed dad back the photo.

"That was the seventies." He said, shaking his head slightly. "I'm sure there's more, but they're all packed away still." He said dismissively, waving a hand at the remaining mountain of boxes. Dad always took such care with his books, and it took him forever to unpack them all.

"Please don't panic about school." He said, changing the subject back to our original topic. I sighed and nodded, kissing his cheek as he smiled.

"I'll try not to." I agreed, vowing to make the best attempt to keep that promise, no matter how unlikely that was.

"That's all I can ask." He said gently, standing back up as he moved to his boxes, leaving me to my devices once again.

**A/N: So a father-daughter for you all... it's now 2:30 on the dot, so there's some more incentive for you to review... its late and I'm being bitchy. Yay me. I am NOT a morning person- no matter what the hour. But! In my defence, I'm hooked on a story right now called Hand Me Down by Hope4more. I like it... and I think you would too. Go check it out after you review this Carlisle-filled chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 6**

Elmo

**A/N: Ok, so I know I said Saturday, but I felt like posting another chapter today instead. Saturday is the default day.**

**Here's the sixth chapter of Part 3, Bella's first day of high school. There's no actual _school _in this chapter, but it's her morning before. Now, I know a lot of you are curious as to when the drama will pick up, so according to the plan I have set up, the drama is set off in chapter 14, but picks up in chapter 16. I doubt it will happen any later than that, but it might come earlier if I decide to merge/cut out a few chapters. Sometimes chapter outlines don't go as we planned, so they get shortened.**

**Please review since I was nice enough to give you an early update. I know the fluff deters some of you, but it's all necessary foundation for the future. The next few chapters are of Bella's school day, then we'll skip ahead a but with some RPOV afterwards. **

BPOV

Today was the day.

I mean _the _day.

The day I was dreading.

I sat patiently on my bed as Alice attacked my head with my brush, humming to herself happily as she clipped, pulled and tugged to her heart's delight, giving no care to the poor human who sat under her, wincing in pain. She was wetting, drying, primping and perfecting in her meticulous way, and I couldn't help but feel slightly helpless as I watched myself in the mirror, letting Alice transform me from Plain-Jane Bella Swan into something much prettier and fake.

"There." She said, ending her new style by tossing a large, loose curl over my shoulder. She had me dressed and made over already, so there was no issues there as she smiled and pinched both cheeks, getting a slight blush instead of my nervous pale face.

"Oh, brighten up Bella!" she cried, happy as she _danced _out of my bathroom- yes, _danced_- waiting for me to follow behind her.

She should have been a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz.

"Coming." I mumbled, stumbling behind my pixie sister as she pranced down the wide hallway and marched down the steps, leaving me to run behind her, trying not to fall.

"Here we are!" she cried, arriving in the kitchen, where I found mom making me breakfast again.

"Good morning dears." She said, making me smile.

"Morning mom." I said, cheerful and light, even if I felt terrified and very weighted down by this school business.

Why were the schools always out to get me?

"Here we are." She said, handing me a plate of eggs and bacon.

"Thanks mom." I said, gritting my teeth and eating the food mom had given me. Going to school hungry wasn't going to help me, so I forced the food down, just as the other three came into the room, dad having gone to work already this morning.

"Mm. Pigs." Said Emmett, eying my bacon. I turned and took a big mouthful, making him smirk. I remembered what happened last time he'd commented on the species of animal I was eating, ending in the disastrous turkey sandwich incident.

"Want a bite?" I teased, thrusting it at him. I saw him swallow hard as the smell wafted towards him, making me giggle and retract my hand, stuffing the entire piece in my mouth.

"No thank you." Said Emmett firmly, backing up a bit. I snorted at his absurd fear of the innocent human food, sticking another piece of egg in my mouth.

"Mm. Baby chicken houses." He said, once again commenting on my breakfast.

"You know you want one." I said childishly, watching as he snorted with laughter, eying my orange juice speculatively. I took a large drink, and once again, Emmett commented.

"Mm. Orange blood." He said, earning him a glare from his wife. "Now that's a _vegan_ diet." He said, thinking of his own "vegetarian diet". I giggled and slurped it happily, glad that Em managed to lighten the mood instead of darkening it.

"All done?" asked Alice, snatching the plate the moment I was finished. I gaped as she stuck it in the sink, not even letting me wash it before I said a hasty goodbye to mom, convincing Alice to let me hug her goodbye before she dragged me off towards the cars, shoving me excitedly at Edward's silver Volvo.

"Don't hurt the human Ali." Said Jasper affectionately, sending me a wink. Alice gasped and turned to me, looking me over critically.

"Did I hurt you?" she demanded, her good mood dampened for the moment. I shook my head quickly and she breathed a visible sigh of relief, nodding as she hopped into the front seat of Rose's red BMW. Emmett attempted to sneak into the driver's seat, but that only earned him a very vicious snarl from his wife, sending him to the back with Jasper. I giggled and Edward shook his head as I climbed into his car, watching as he got into the driver's seat, starting it up.

"And we're off." He said quietly, tailing the red car closely. Rosalie and Alice were chatting in the back as Emmett made obscene hand gestures to us instead, only stopping when Rosalie turned around to give him a piece of her mind.

"Foolish." Said Edward, knowing how mad Rose got when he was acting stupid.

"Yep." I said sadly, agreeing with Edward. My big brother would be in trouble when he got home tonight for "corrupting" me, even if I already knew what all of that meant.

"Rose!" I distinctly heard Emmett holler as Rosalie threatened him with something- most likely abstinence. Vampires might not need sleep, but Rosalie was not to be reckoned with in the early morning hours, when she tended to be snappier than usual.

"Emmett!" she whined back, making me roll down the window to hear them. Edward laughed quietly to himself and turned the heat off so I could hear better, knowing how to eavesdrop.

"Don't be like that." Said Emmett sadly, leaning forwards between the two front seats. Rosalie simply ignored him and kept her eyes on the road as Alice turned and giggled, giving me a discrete wink. Jasper smiled too as he turned in his seat to glance at me, escaping the notice of the quarrelling couple.

"I'll be however I want to be." Replied Rose smugly, happy to have gotten a rise out of him.

"We can't… not do it for a _week!" _he shouted, appalled and rather put out. Edward laughed heartily and Emmett turned, giving Edward a lethal glare that irritated me. I stuck my head out the open window, feeling a boost of confidence from Emmett.

"I guess it's time to 'tickle Elmo', isn't it Em?" I called, much louder than necessary. Edward, while being incredibly embarrassed, laughed loudly, causing the car to wobble slightly in the lane. Emmett, both shocked and impressed by my retaliation turned completely in his seat, contemplating me for a moment before he lifted his hand and gave me the finger, a playful smirk on his face.

Too bad it was short lived.

Rosalie saw him through the mirror and let out an almighty shriek of indignation, sending her pale hand flying backwards to whack him again. Alice took over the wheel gently, Rose's foot still on the gas as she whacked her husband from the front, screeching about tearing off his fingers and _other appendages _should he even _think _of doing something like that again. I was deeply amused and sat laughing gently in my seat as a mollified Emmett turned and sat silently, all fingers and toes pointed in their rightful directions, not so much as glancing back at me. Rosalie was positively fuming in the front and I saw her death glare for Em through her mirror before she adjusted it to watch him carefully, ensuring he was behaving as an old vampire should.

"Rosie…" he started, sounding like a little boy. Rosalie snarled, her teeth showing as Edward laughed heartily again, amused by the display in front of us.

"Don't even go there." Said Rose dangerously, earning a high laugh from Alice and a deep one from Jasper. Jazz turned and shot me an amused glance before Rosalie turned her glare on him for a moment, urging him strongly to turn himself around before he got a smack too.

Jasper might be Alice's husband, but he wasn't exempt from Rose's hand, should she choose to use it.

"Don't be a pest, Jazzy." Scolded Alice from her place, glancing at me herself before she laughed again, turning around to watch the road. Rosalie's vulture-like glare was once again directed at the intimidated man in the backseat of her car- the one she had the misfortune to be married to.

"I swear to god Emmett, if you so much as _think _of giving her the finger again, you won't be seeing much "action" for quite some time. Do I make myself clear?" she said, loud enough for me to hear as well. Emmett sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping as Rose "ruined his fun", as he'd say.

"Yes ma'am." He said firmly, giving her a mocking salute before she snarled and Jasper rolled his eyes at the very bad salute. I knew Jazz was itching to correct it, but now was not the time to instigate something else that might piss them off.

I hadn't noticed Edward watching me until that moment, when I turned and saw his head turned to me, his eyes glued to my face instead of the road.

"Emmett's impressed with you." He murmured, too low for Rosalie to hear us. God forbid Emmett's Drill Sergeant hear that he was impressed by my vulgarity.

"I couldn't help myself." I admitted, watching closely as the strangely familiar buildings began to flash past. I pointedly ignored the twinge in my belly as I saw the old places I once knew as a young child, remembering who was also in those memories.

Charles Swan would _not _taint my time here. No. He'd done that once before, but he wouldn't get the satisfaction of hurting me this time.

I had the vampires on my side.

"Here we are." Said Edward, pulling into a parking lot outside Forks High.

Forks was home of the Spartans?

Lovely. Just peachy.

I was going to school where the _Spartans _lived.

I grit my teeth as I opened the door, stepping out into the damp air of the Olympic Peninsula, ready as I'd ever be for the battle zone called high school.

**A/N: So there we have it, a little sibling banter and some Rosalie-Rage for poor Emmett. Rose is just protective of Bella as any mother would be, and having someone flip off your kid, especially someone eons older than she is, might piss you off too. I liked this chapter, so review to see Bella's school day, and some EPOV! Poor Edward and the thoughts of the students.... sighs.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 7**

School

**A/N: Saturday is officially update day, so here's another chapter of DITR PT 3. It's entirely EPOV, and I thought it was pretty funny... especially considering poor Edward's mind reading...**

**Review, and you just might get another early update before next Saturday.**

EPOV

Bella gave me one last glance of determination and dread as she opened the door to my Volvo, stepping out into the wet air of Forks. The parking lot was filled with students, each one of them turning to stare at either Bella and I or one of our siblings before their minds came to a screeching halt, seeing how different we looked.

I believe the word they were using was "hot".

Bella noticed the added attention as well, and before she could say anything, I shook my head and took her bag for her, turning her the most endearing shade of scarlet I'd seen today. She simply stuck to my side and let the blush deepen to match the BMW before we walked over and joined my siblings. Bella smiled at me when I opened Rosalie's door for her since Emmett was still sulking, earning me approval in Rosalie's head.

"We need to go to the office for schedules then we'll get lockers." Said Alice quietly, making me nod and sigh as Bella pressed herself into my side, noticing the group of boys ogling the girls from their place by an old Honda.

I simply tuned out those disgusting thoughts, but it was much easier said than done. No one in this place knew I could hear every inner thought they had, and they didn't know just how loud those thoughts really were. They were much too loud for my liking, especially considering most of them involved undressing someone- one of us or otherwise. I shuddered lightly as Emmett got out of the BMW, shooting Bella an amused glance before his possessiveness got the better of him and he grabbed Rosalie's waist, much to her approval. He simply glared at a freshman eying her, making the poor kid turn beet red to match Bella as he scampered away, right through the front doors. I caught a fleeting mindful of his thoughts and sighed.

"_Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit. That kid's going to kill me…" _came the distraught thoughts of the little fourteen year old.

"Emmett, tone it down a bit." I warned, not wanting the kid to have hysterics because of Emmett's attitude.

"Dude, he was ogling my wife." He hissed back, indignant and rather offended.

"He's fourteen." I snapped back, looking at him. Emmett just shrugged and made his mind up to try not to terrify the entire student body with his intimidating mass.

"Come on." Said Alice happily, letting Jasper follow closely behind her as she pranced towards the doors, attracting a lot of male attention with her beauty.

"Relax Ali." Said Jasper kindly, eying his bouncy wife carefully.

"No thanks." She said simply, allowing Jasper to hold the door for us.

"Thanks." Squeaked Bella from my side, not wanting to move. I sighed, hoping either Alice or I had some of our junior classes with her. Bella may be only fifteen, but Jasper had moved quickly through the course content with her, letting her end up in all the junior books instead of sophomore. That made things much easier for us when we arranged classes. The higher the level, the more likely I was to pay attention, and Alice and I had been allowed to enrol in the same grade as Bella.

"Come on!" chirped Alice, bouncing to the front of the building, where a woman sat behind a desk, rearranging a stack of student information sheets.

"Hello, how may I-" started the woman, only to be cut off when she saw our faces. She blushed ever so slightly, her already ruddy face darkening before she stared, looking rather shell shocked.

"We're here for schedules." I said gently, trying not to look at her. I knew that would just make her even more delirious, and I was pleased when she got a hold of herself, nodding as she dove under the desk and procured six different papers.

"Here we are. Rosalie and Jasper Hale, Emmett, Edward and Alice Cullen, and Isabella Swan?" she read, looking at each of us in turn. I smiled and nodded, taking them from her gently. She went on to hand us each an unnecessary map before she glanced at me and offered me a small smile, a chant going on in her head.

"_Too young! Too young! God, Miriam, you could he his grandmother! Too young!" _came her disturbing thoughts. I saw myself grimace slightly through her eyes and I nodded to myself, snatching Bella away before that crazy receptionist got ideas about her too.

"Well, thank you very much." Said Alice kindly, shocked as I marched the innocent, confused human away with the schedules.

"What?" asked Bella from beside me, worried and rather embarrassed. The others were all coming as well, knowing exactly what the problem was.

"Was Mrs. Cope getting ideas?" asked Emmett slyly, turning Bella a whole new shade of crimson, much to his amusement.

"I hate high school." I grumbled, earning me laughter from my entire family, Bella included. I sighed and handed each of them their schedules before I took a look at my own, making Alice giggle.

English with Ms. Hart, Physics with Mr. Jefferson, Lunch, Biology with Mr. Banner and Home Economics with Ms. Tress.

"Bella, you have English and bio with Edward, and gym with me. You're on your own for Algebra though." Said Alice quietly, glancing at her schedule carefully. Bella simply nodded and Alice smiled happily, kissing Jasper's cheek carefully before she took Bella's arm, dragging her down a hallway.

"What are you doing?" I asked exasperatedly, noting how red Bella was.

"Lockers." She said simply, making me nod as we all trailed behind Alice, finding the row of six lockers for our use. I opened the one that I was given, grimacing at the dirt inside. The humans might _think _these compartments were clean, but they didn't know how very wrong they were. Alice noticed too, and a chorus of "Ew!" went through her head before she sighed, placing her binders inside carefully. Bella was right beside me, and she wasn't as gentle with her things, simply shoving two binders inside while keeping two for her morning classes, even if gym didn't need a binder.

"Right." Said Rosalie, grabbing books for her senior level classes with Emmett and Jasper, all of whom had the exact same schedule.

"Edward?" asked Alice, making me turn to her.

"You do realize you have Home Ec.?" She asked, looking at me pointedly. When the realization hit me, I stopped dead, more appalled than ever before.

Good God I had to eat _food_.

I groaned, and she laughed, making Bella smirk as well.

"Just for later reference, don't put salt in the Rice Krispie squares." said Alice gently, patting my arm carefully. Bella chortled happily at that, knowing it would be the one class I failed miserably.

"Like it matters anyways." I said, knowing that a bit of salt wouldn't make the slightest taste difference to me.

"Let's go." I said quietly, taking Bella's bag for her as she closed up her locker, scampering behind me. I waited for her and she walked beside me, not tripping as I thought she might. Alice and Jasper trailed at the very back of the line with Emmett and Rose right between us, each couple speaking to one another carefully. Bella and I were the only quiet ones, and we walked to class in peace.

We stopped right outside the English classroom, knowing that Emmett, Jasper and Rose had math right next to us. The kids started to file in, and my attention was immediately drawn to the pack of boys behind us, silent as the grave, but thoughts screaming blue murder.

"_Holy shit! That is H-O-T!" _came one mind. I cringed as I got a very imaginative mindful of what Rosalie could possibly look like naked.

Like Emmett didn't show me enough already.

"_Who's the little one? That's one spicy pixie!"_

"_Nice ass, Barbie."_

"_Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa."_

"_Nice."_

"_I wonder if they'd do a threesome? No, they have to be related…"_

I cringed almost imperceptibly as my sisters were envisioned in more than one ridiculous and awkward scenario with each of the boys, right before another mind invaded my own, this one much less disciplined.

"_Now _that's _a fine ass. Nice body, big brown eyes, long dark hair…" _came his loud thoughts. My head whipped around at an almost inhuman speed, my eyes landing on a blonde boy waiting outside our math class, his eyes raking over Bella instead of my sisters.

I snarled.

Loudly.

"Edward." Snapped Bella, elbowing me in the ribs. I barely felt it, but I knew she did, so I pried my eyes off of that stupid horny kid, vowing to never let him so much as glance at Bella again.

"_Did that kid just growl at me?" _came the boy's worried thoughts.

Why yes, yes I did… _Mike Newton._

I pulled the name out of his head and embedded it in my mind for future reference, just as I gripped Bella tightly, pulling her against my stony side, not caring that she looked at me like I was nuts.

It was for her own good.

"_Now that one's pretty hot too. Not to mention much more normal..."_ Came another boy's thoughts. I got a mindful of Bella this time, and I shook my head, wanting to dislodge that image from my brain.

Now _that _was improper. Forget the bed incident.

"_Is that kid ok? He looks kind of green."_ Noted another boy, his eyes focused on me as I glared viciously at the floor. Bella looked a little alarmed as she watched me stiffen, yet another vulgar, revealing thought attacking my head from a… senior boy!?

No way.

No damn way was a _senior _boy even _glancing _at my fifteen year old Bella.

"Stay away from them." I whispered in her ear, making her blush and turn red with embarrassment.

"Why?" she demanded indignantly, not understanding what could have me so riled.

"Because…" I started, right before the teacher appeared, letting us all in the class.

"You must be the new students." She said gently, looking at Alice, Bella and I. Thankfully, she was the only person in the entire corridor, besides my family, that didn't have her mind in the gutter.

"Yes ma'am." Said Alice cheerfully, only instigating more dirty thoughts from the boys. Her voice was now added to their own personal fantasies, making me shiver. Bella shot me a strange glance before she sighed and shrugged, looking around the room carefully.

"Isabella?" she asked, making Bella look up. The teacher smiled gently and handed her a stack of books, Alice and I getting ours as well.

"Well, take a seat anywhere and we'll begin today's lesson." She said, very down to earth and to the point. I sighed a breath of relief as I sat down, glancing at the first novel in my hands.

Romeo and Juliet.

I hated high school.

**A/N: Poor Edward...**

**Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 8**

Reunion

**A/N: Well, it's not Saturday, but it's not exactly early either. I've been sick lately, so that's severely impacted my writing... this story's not too bad, but Love Me Tender's getting really far behind... I need to write more before next week.**

**I hope you enjoy more of Bella's POV after I tortured Edward for a bit last chapter. He's just too fun to play with... like a new toy. You can always do something spontaneous with that man.**

**Please review, and you just might get an early update!**

BPOV

I was beet red as the teacher handed me a pile of books, Romeo and Juliet right on top of the large stack. I smiled happily to myself and glanced at Edward as he glared angrily at the book, making me smile slightly. Edward loathed the classics, Shakespeare included, making his day even worse. I had no idea what had put him in such a bad mood so suddenly back there, but I was too amused to care, even if the school intimidated me. Alice sat next to me at the back of the class, making me smile gently, glancing at the irritable Edward. The teacher looked carefully at us- the three newbies- and simply cleared her throat pointedly, getting the attention of the class.

"Now, as you've all noticed, we have three new students in the class with us today. Would you tell the class your names please?" asked Ms. Hart, making Alice smile.

"I'm Alice Cullen." She said, her voice happy as it always was. Alice looked at me next and I blushed much darker, clearing my throat awkwardly.

"Bella Swan." I said quietly, earning me a kind nod from the teacher.

"Edward." Snapped the cranky vampire, his teeth clenched and intense, black glare directed at his books.

_Someone_ needed a happy meal.

"Alright." Said Ms. Hart, shooting him a worried glance as he turned to Alice, hearing her thoughts. He looked up from his books, trying half-heartedly to stop being so moody, failing miserably. Ms. Hart instructed us all to take out Romeo and Juliet, much to Edward's displeasure, and we were settled in with Act 2, Scene 1, making me smile.

"Now, we'll read." Said the teacher, handing out parts to different kids. Neither Edward, Alice or I were chosen, and I thanked God I didn't have to read it. I smiled to myself and sighed, looking carefully at the poetic words before I simply decided listening worked better, and focused my thoughts on Edward instead.

Why was he so moody all of a sudden? I thought back to his attitude in the car, then the sudden change once we got to school. What had gotten him so pissed off…?

Oh my God.

He could hear the minds of all the students in the entire school, and with Rose and Alice around, they were sure to be unpleasant.

I barely contained my giggle of amusement, attracting Alice's attention as well. She must have seen me figuring it out, and her amused stare only increased my own amusement, making it quite hard to keep calm.

"Now, questions 1-3 on page 34." Said Ms. Hart, sitting down at her desk when the scene was done. "You can talk quietly amongst yourselves, but keep it quiet." She said. The class immediately broke into conversation, and I let out the giggle I'd been holding in, making Alice smirk as well. Edward simply turned to us irritably, making me even more giddy.

"What?" he asked, confused. Unable to laugh at him directly, I stopped myself and smirked, shaking my head. That only irritated him more and he sighed, turning angrily in his seat to start writing his elaborate answers for the play he hated. I laughed outright at his sulky mood, earning me a small wink from Alice.

"What?" he asked again, exasperated. I sighed and looked at him for a long moment, deciding to tell.

"I know why you're cranky." I said simply, earning me a well-placed glare.

"Glad I amuse you." He grumbled, making me sigh.

"Are the thoughts really _that _bad?" I asked doubtfully, earning me a small stare of incredulity.

"Yes." He said simply. "And do _not _go anywhere _near _the boy called Mike Newton."

"Why…?" I started, realization hitting me. I gasped and blushed redder than a fire truck as Edward smiled grimly, nodding silently.

"You know why." He said softly, looking at me pointedly.

Was that kid having dirty thought about _me?_ Plain old Bella Swan? Oh my God, could I die of embarrassment?

"Don't worry about it Bella." Said Alice happily. "We go through it every time we're in high school."

"Yeah, but you're used to it." I groaned, making her laugh her high, tinkling giggle.

"Well, you should get used to it." She suggested, earning her a glare from Edward.

"Or those kids can learn to stop undressing people mentally." He suggested sarcastically.

"They _what?" _I squawked, earning me a smirk from Alice.

"Mind sex." She said, her voice low and seductive. I saw a group of boys turn when they heard her, each of their faces laced with overwhelming lust.

"Alice keep your voice down." Groaned Edward, glancing at the group. They ignored everyone besides Alice, making me frown disgustedly.

"Ew." I said, glancing pitifully at Edward. "I would _never _want to see my sisters like that_." _I said, making him grimace.

"You have no idea." He said with a small shudder, earning him another giggle from his pixie sister.

"Work." Said Alice suddenly, just as the teacher came around to us.

"How are we getting on?" she asked, looking at each of us. I didn't miss how her eyes lingered on Edward the longest, making him purse his lips into a hard line.

"Just fine, thank you." He said courteously, making the teacher smile carefully, nodding. Without another word, her cheeks reddened and she scampered off to supervise the ogling boys, chastising them for their lack of progress.

"Pray you never see yourself in your teacher's fantasies either." Said Edward darkly, his gaze glued to the paper. If he could have blushed, he would have, but I solved the problem by turning red enough for the both of us.

"Gross." I mumbled, earning another laugh from Alice as Edward's head suddenly shot up, looking over Alice's shoulder.

"Someone wants to speak with you." Said Edward, looking at me. He didn't look pleased, but he wasn't particularly hostile either, so when I glanced over Alice's shoulder and saw the two approaching figures, I thought nothing of it.

Until she spoke.

"Hey." Said a nasally voice- one I'd know anywhere, even after nine years of not hearing it.

"Did you live here before?" she asked, looking at me. My blush drained from my face and anger replaced any awkwardness I might have had, just as I glanced up, seeing the two figures I'd always hated.

Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley.

"Lauren." I said shortly, earning me a dramatic gasp from her.

"Like oh my God!" she cried, pulling up a chair. I grumbled lowly, making Alice frown in confusion. Jessica smiled a simpering smile at me and I wanted to throw something at her.

Old habits die hard.

"I haven't seen you since like what… first grade?" asked Lauren, an amazed smile on her face.

"Yep." I said shortly, making her smirk.

"So, where did you go? You just, like, disappeared." She asked, making me sigh.

"Alaska." I said shortly, deciding that one-word answers were best right now.

"Wow." She said, smiling happily.

"Yeah. Wow." I said, glancing at her fully.

She was a six-year-old bitch in a whore's body.

I still despised her.

"So, how about you sit with us at lunch and we can like… catch up!" she said, smacking her gum loudly.

"I have seating plans, thank you Lauren." I said, my voice adopting the cold courtesy I'd picked up from Edward.

"With who?" she asked sceptically.

"My family." I said shortly. She shot Alice and Edward a careful glance, her eyes raking Edward over.

"Why don't we join you then?" she asked, looking eager. She looked at Edward again and I saw her wink discretely, making me huff. Edward cringed slightly but kept his mouth shut.

"I'd like to get to know your _family_." She added slyly, earning a giddy, nervous giggle from Jessica.

"Edward's not interested." I said shortly, shocking both Edward and Alice. Edward spared Lauren a swift glance and I saw the shock and offence on her face as she looked me over critically.

"Same as when we were six, isn't it Smella?" she said nastily, adapting the old nickname. Edward whipped around indignantly in his seat, making me smirk.

"I guess so." I said indifferently, laughing mentally at her ancient nickname.

"Well, at least you have better clothes this time." She said mockingly, looking me over.

"At least I grew up. You, on the other hand, are exactly the same as before." I said darkly, not daring to call her a whore outright. Her posture, clothing and hair said it all.

S-L-U-T.

"Whatever Swan." She said disgustedly, grabbing Jessica's arm to drag her back to their posse of boys, making me huff. When she was gone, I shot Edward a curious glance.

"I hope you _weren't _interested." I said quietly, turning angrily to my papers. Alice spared me a sad glance as she looked Lauren over critically.

"Anyone else think she's a whore?" she asked bluntly, a questioning, quizzical look on her face. I snorted with laughter as she analyzed Lauren carefully, without gaining attention from her.

"I _know _she is." Said Edward darkly, tapping his temple carefully. I smirked and shook my head, turning to my papers carefully. Before I could get any further with them, the bell rang- loud and shrill- startling me. I went to grab my things, but Edward had already put them away discretely, smiling at me.

"Here you are." He said, offering me the bag.

"Thanks." I said, smiling as Alice took my arm and led me out.

"Bye Edward!" she called, earning her a small wave. I shot him one last thankful smile before Alice dragged me off to gym.

ooOoo

Gym was, in one word, awful.

Alice and I were forced into the ugly uniforms and handed badminton rackets- a sure way for me to murder some innocent passerby. Alice was my partner, and as always, she was a phenomenal player, making up for my horrendous hand-eye coordination with a metal racket. We won the game by a landslide, even if I'd never even hit the birdie once, letting Alice do that. The pair across from us- two very athletic boys- lost easily while staring at Alice's perfect body as she moved instead of the birdie that managed to hit them twice in the head.

When the torture was over, the bell rang, and I was glad to say I was very hungry for lunch- where our group would be the talk of the cafeteria.

**A/N: So there you have it: class with Edward and reunions with the bitches. We saw them in Part 1, and now they're back for more... although I don't know how much of an appearance they'll make... I might have had enough of them already. Wow, the characters in my own story annoy me... huh.**

**Well, reviews are welcomed and encouraged, so drop a line before you move on to bigger and better things.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 9**

Lunch

**A/N: As promised, here's your Saturday update. I would have put this up earlier this morning, but I had a job interview at 11, so I was kind of busy. School's been keeping me occupied, so my fanfictions have been suffering. Some more fluff/introduction stuff before we hit the drama, which is coming in about chapter 15-16. As I've said before, I want a firm foundation and a look into Bella's life before we dive into the drama pool. All the other parts rarely show good times before the drama, and I want to show that her life has some good, as well as bad. **

**Enjoy the chapter and I hope you take the time to review!!!**

BPOV

Edward, Alice and I walked through the cafeteria doors together, ignoring the stares and whispers that came our way. I saw a small smile playing around Alice's lips as Edward scowled miserably, the thoughts of the students obviously worse than their quiet words. I immediately saw Emmett, Rose and Jazz sitting at the back of the room at the corner table, all the kids avoiding them by a good ten feet. There were already trays of food there, so we walked over and I sat down beside Emmett, making him smirk. A group of kids stared at me in shock as I my 5'3" form sat next to Emmett's much larger one, not intimidated in the slightest.

I wasn't six anymore.

"Here." Said Emmett, shoving a tray of fries and soda at me, watching interestedly. Alice shot him a warning glance, knowing he was curious again, as he'd been with the sandwich incident.

"Not here." She said in a scolding tone, making Emmett sigh and shrug, pleased with himself for at least considering sticking one of the fries in his mouth. Rosalie just rolled her eyes and took out her compact mirror, opening it to see herself.

"You look perfect, babe." Said Emmett gently, making Rosalie smile and put the mirror away. I smiled, looking at the fries as I poked one of them into my mouth, eying my massive brother warily, in case he decided not to heed Alice's advice and take them anyways. I opened my soda and took a long drink, watching as the unpleasant shivers went down Emmett's body.

"Disgusting." He decided, grimacing in distaste. A curious freshman glanced at him when he said that, but Emmett just shot the kid a creepy, toothy grin, making him scamper away. Rose whacked him indignantly as I snickered, watching Alice as she engaged Jasper in conversation instead of scolding her brother. Edward watched me with his sulky eyes, not bothering to speak as I ate. He just watched the box of fries diminish before there was nothing left at all, and we were left with three more trays of food.

"Eat up, kiddo." Said Emmett, thrusting the next tray at me. I stared at him and he laughed, making me sigh as I took another fry to eat, despite the fact that I wasn't hungry anymore.

"Don't eat that if you don't want to." Said Rose, her not-so-subtle hate for greasy fast foods plainly showing. She grimaced, looking ready to say something, but held herself back as I munched happily. Edward cracked a small smile at her thoughts before his face fell and he scowled at the table again, his head in his hands.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Jasper, smirking at Edward. Edward scowled at his brother and ignored the question, making me giggle.

"Someone needs a Happy Meal." I said, repeating the thought from English. Emmett laughed heartily, spooking some more freshmen and sophomores at the closest table to us as Edward turned to me, not amused in the slightest.

"A happy meal? Do you want to be the one to deal with mind sex every second of your life?" he snapped, making me stare. He immediately looked ashamed at his tone but I was already offended, so I turned to Emmett instead, giving Edward the silent treatment. Emmett was ignoring me as well, but his eyes were angry and glued to Edward instead.

"Don't be a dick." He warned angrily, putting an arm around me protectively. Rosalie looked smug as she sat, looking at the table happily as Edward sighed and looked at me repentantly.

"Sorry." He said sadly, making me nod stiffly. He never spoke to me like that, and I didn't like it. Emmett tugged me closer and gave Edward the once-over, making me smile slightly as Edward was put on guard, knowing Emmett would be the last one to let this go. He was an overprotective bear when it came to me, and I knew he'd always be.

Like a mama bear, only more dangerous and definitely the opposite of female.

More like an angry papa bear.

Poor Edward.

Alice caught my gaze and smiled at me, making me smile back while still avoiding Edward. When I did meet his eyes, he was watching me with a small frown on his face, and I bit off the end of a fry violently, making his frown deepen.

"Sorry." He said again, making me sigh and look at him as I threw a fry, watching as he let it hit his head. He took it out of his hair and I smirked, watching as he held it gingerly between his fingers, looking disgusted and rather green.

"Eat it." I said, wondering how far he'd go to gain my forgiveness. He stared at me as shock registered on his face, making him stare.

"No thank you." He said, placing the now-cold fry in front of him. Emmett chortled happily as I frowned indignantly and turned away, pretending to be mad. He frowned in frustration, knowing he'd never see in my head to know how I was truly feeling and groaned angrily, picking up the innocent fried legume. He opened his mouth and popped it in, swallowing it whole as his Adam's apple bobbed, forcing the fry down his throat.

"There. Now I'm sorry for being snappy." He said, his voice low and apologetic.

"I know you are. I forgave you before you ate the fry." I said happily, making Emmett smirk at Edward. Shock registered on his face once again and he sat back, giving Emmett the stink-eye for "corrupting" me. Edward thought Emmett was a bad influence, since he had me trained as his co-prankster by the age of seven. I simply sat back and ate another fry, watching as Edward stared at Emmett, undoubtedly silently cursing his burly brother quite colourfully.

"Don't stare so hard, Eddie. You might give yourself an stroke." Said Emmett, happily, making Edward sigh and turn around, looking paler than normal.

"Mm, fries." I said, taunting him as I stuffed three fries in my mouth at once, almost giving in to the urge to toss another one at him.

"Vulgar things." He muttered angrily, making me snort with laughter again. He looked ready to retaliate, but managed to keep quiet as I finished another carton of fries to appease Emmett.

"Another one?" he asked, pushing Rosalie's towards me. Rosalie rolled her golden eyes and I shook my head, making him frown indignantly.

"And why not?" he asked, making me stare.

"Do you want me to blow up?" I asked, making him smirk.

"That would be an interesting science experiment, don't you think Jasper?" he asked, glancing at my blonde brother. Jasper simply stared at Emmett calculatingly, looking rather amused.

"You want to make Bella explode?" he confirmed, making Emmett frown.

"No." he said, just realizing what had been suggested. Jasper shook his head, laughing gently, and turned back to Alice, making Emmett turn to me with a sad frown on his face.

"Don't worry, squirt. I love you, and I don't want you to explode from eating too many deep fried potatoes." He said seriously, no smiles on his unhappy face. I laughed and hugged him, watching as he flicked the box of fries across the table as if they just might try and blow me up, before he hugged be back.

"Love you too Emmy." I said fondly, seeing his pride at my words. Edward simply smiled at me gently, the previous spat forgotten for now. I watched as he stood slowly and walked out of the room, not saying a word to anyone. Alice laughed loudly once he was out of the room and I turned to her questioningly.

"What?" I asked.

"Edward has to go and get rid of the fry." She said disgustedly, a grimace on her face. I stared as my own stomach churned at the mere idea, forcing me to shove those thoughts to the back of my head.

"Gross." I mumbled, making Alice giggle as well.

"It's your own fault for feeding him French fries." She said simply, making me scowl at her playfully. She just turned back to Jasper, eager to continue whatever conversation they were having right now. I turned to Rosalie, who smiled gently at me and watched me instead of her mirror- a large accomplishment. Everyone knew that Rose loved mirrors.

"How's your day been?" she asked, making me smile and shrug.

"Gym sucks." I said cheerfully, not minding too much right now. "But we read Romeo and Juliet in English." I said, making Emmett laugh loudly.

"Oh, I'll bet that just made Edward's day." He said sarcastically, smirking at me. I giggled and Alice smiled at me, remembering the gym fiasco.

"They gave Bella a racket." She put in, making Emmett stare in mock-horror.

"Who died?" he asked seriously, making me swat him indignantly.

"For your information, Emmett, I didn't _kill _anyone. Alice did the playing, and I tried to look useful in the background." I said smugly. He laughed.

"That's the way to do it Belly." He said fondly, patting my head.

"Don't mess her hair!" Alice nearly screeched, attracting the attention of some more students. Emmett, alarmed by her impending hysteria settled for patting my back instead, just as Edward returned to the table, much happier and at ease.

"The bell is supposed to ring in three minutes." He told me, standing behind my chair. "We should go." He leaned over as he spoke, his sweet breath tickling my ear.

"Ok." I said, my voice wavering as I looked at the incredibly handsome vampire above me. He nodded and took the tray to the garbage as I sighed shakily, noticing Jasper's odd glance. I avoided his gaze and turned beet red as he smiled to himself, looking back to the oblivious Alice.

Did Jasper know I liked Edward?

When I stood up and walked behind Alice, Emmett was kissing Rosalie and didn't notice the sly wink Jasper gave me as his wife spoke, turning me a whole new shade of red.

So he did know.

God this was awkward.

He didn't say anything though and looked away from me, focusing on Alice and her long speech instead.

"Come on." Said the smooth voice in my ear, making me sigh and nod as Jasper sent me another glance, his eyes twinkling in the fluorescent lights.

**A/N: So, there have it- lunchtime with the Cullens. Yeah, the fry was like a retake of Emmett and the Sandwich, but with Edward. And Jasper knows! Well, review for another chapter ASAP, and tell me how you liked lunchtime.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 10**

Biology

**A/N: Ok, so I've finished quite a few chapters of this story since Saturday, and since you're such avid reviewers and I've been working hard, I decided that you all deserved an early update. Another lighter chapter and some Edward-Mike humour, but for all you drama enthusiasts, know that it'll pick up around chapter 14, with the real stuff happening in chapters 15-16. Then we'll get somewhere.**

**Please be so kind as to review this early chapter, and enjoy the biology class.**

BPOV

Edward led me down the hallways of Forks high, right to the door of the building where he forced me outside instead. I grumbled angrily as we walked, not wanting to go anyplace in this rain, but walked anyways after he chuckled at my feeble protests. He insisted on holding my bag, and that in itself was enough to make me blush. Let's not even consider when he forced me to walk on the inside of the sidewalk, when he opened the doors to both the biology building and the classroom for me, when he kindly asked the teacher for both of our seats, and then when he pulled out the stool for me, refusing to sit until I did.

He was so old fashioned.

So here we were, sitting side by side in the science classroom, watching the teacher flit through some papers on his desk, ignoring us for the moment. Edward and I were early, and Edward was the only one content enough to sit patiently. The teacher was a little intimidated by Edward, and I was just nervous again, so while the teacher shuffled papers pointedly, I picked my fingernails under the desk.

"Alice says to stop that." Said Edward quietly- too low for the teacher to hear. I frowned and looked at him, making him smile.

"Stop what?" I asked, confused.

"She doesn't want you to get hangnails." He said amusedly, making me huff as I stopped picking my nails. Damn pixie. The bell rang- a high, shrill noise that made Edward cringe slightly as I perked up, letting Edward hand me my binder for this class.

"Thanks." I said softly, just as the kids filed inside. I noticed a few kids were my age in here- obviously advanced- while the rest were mostly seventeen. Edward sat, perfectly content in his chair, ignoring the ogling girls that flocked around a desk in the upper corner of the room. I saw the boys come in next, and to my shock and embarrassment, they all glanced at me, but not before Edward snapped to attention and shot them all a death glare. I blushed beet red and put my head down, just as two textbooks slammed down on our counter, making me jump and nearly fall off my stool.

"Thanks." I said to the teacher's retreating back, earning me a dismissive wave before I took the old, worn book and put it under my binder. While I was distracted, a boy from the flock came over and pulled out the stool in front of me, turning it around to sit at the other end of my desk.

"Hey." He said, making Edward scowl slightly. The boy stared at me, having no eyes for Edward, and I blushed again, looking at him. He looked older than me…

"Hi." I squeaked, earning a small snarl from Edward. I kicked him pointedly and he stopped, looking out the window instead.

"I'm Mike." Said the strange blonde boy, offering me his hand. I shook it gently and nodded.

"Bella." I said, making him sigh and nod.

"The name suits you." He said with a sly wink, making Edward tense. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Um… Thanks?" I said, sounding very unsure. He just smirked and nodded to himself, looking at me with his big blue eyes.

"So, are you busy on Saturday?" he asked, shocking me. I stared.

"Um…" I said, trying to think up a quick excuse. That was it for Edward's feeble self control, and without another word from Mike, Edward was the one addressing him.

"Bella has yet to finish unpacking, and our family would appreciate it if that was done before we go camping this weekend." He snapped, shocking Mike. Mike just nodded and looked at me, sending me a swift wink before he sauntered off to the desk he'd been assigned.

"Stay away from him." ordered Edward in a low voice. I noticed his eyes were dark again, and I frowned, staring at him.

"Relax." I said, patting his arm gently. His eyes lightened before he turned to the front, determined to focus.

"Copy down this note." Said Mr. Banner, turning on the overhead projector. I grabbed a pen and some paper, starting to scratch down the note.

I'd managed to write the first paragraph before I noticed what Edward was up to, and it was embarrassing, to say the least. He already had the note down on his paper and he was now amusing himself by staring at me, his intense eyes simply watching me as I wrote. I glanced at him briefly and that only made a small smirk play around his lips as he watched me write the wrong word. I scratched it out and looked at the projector screen again, my cheeks redder than tomatoes.

This was going to be a very long class.

* * *

EPOV

That vile Mike Newton's thoughts were still revolving around Bella and her "hot" body, making my blood boil- figuratively, of course. Maybe venom boiled…

As angry and irritated as I was with that kid, I forced myself to copy down the note at the fastest pace I could get away with, and decided that my time would be better spent watching Bella. She was copying slowly- her handwriting resembling that of a elementary school student. She didn't notice me watching, and this reminded me very much of my night time amusement when I'd watch her sleep. But this time, her eyes were open and her brain was consciously functioning instead of dreaming. I enjoyed watching her write, trying vainly to break the impenetrable barrier in her mind as I'd done for mere moments nine years ago, when she was six. I wondered what had happened to let me in, but whatever it was hadn't happened again, so I was still in the dark. Bella suddenly caught my eye, blushing as she caught me staring. She watched me for a brief moment before she turned to her paper, writing down the wrong word. I chuckled softly at that and sighed, continuing to watch her as she forced herself to stop glancing at me and pay attention.

"_Man, who the hell does Cullen think he is?"_ came Newton's thoughts, making me smirk.

"_I mean, if I want to tap that, who's he to tell me no? Maybe _he's _with her…"_ he said. I had a sudden, violent urge to grab the stool I was sitting on and hurl it as his head, just to watch him writhe in pain. My body tensed again and Bella noticed, but said nothing as I glared at the back of Mike Newton's head, willing it to explode.

"Are we done?" asked the teacher, standing up from his desk. The kids let out a noise of assent and the teacher went on to explain the very simple note he'd put up, still managing to lose half the kids in the class. I paid no attention to him at all and continued to glare at Mike Newton, getting Bella's attention. I didn't notice her staring at me with a worried glance, but when her foot made contact with my shin under the desk for the second time, I snapped my gaze to the front, staring at the teacher instead.

"_Man, she's hot…"_ came Mike's loud, obnoxious thoughts once more. I snapped my teeth together loudly and even Bella heard the dull snap. Once again, fantasies of stools, knives, rifles, teeth and explosions invaded my thoughts, allowing me a small, grim pleasure at the idea of his immediate death.

"So when the cells divide…" said the teacher, droning on. Mike attacked me with thoughts once again, all sorts of women starring in his sexual fantasies, but Bella appearing most prominently. Did he think I wanted to know what he dreamed of with her? She was my… well not my sister, but my _Bella_, and he should never picture any woman without their clothes, much less her. In my day, trying to get a woman out of her dress was unthinkable, and I would have never contemplated doing it. Had times really changed that much? It had been a few years since I'd been in high school… maybe I'd ask Alice.

"_I wonder what her bra size is? Maybe a B…" _he thought, giving me a mindful of imaginary Bella's breasts. I cringed into the stool and Bella noticed, frowning worriedly. Mike Newton turned subtly to ogle her chest, and that was the last straw. He was slowly turning, his mind set on estimating her chest size as I let out a small, quiet growl, earning me another warning glance from Bella.

_Yes Bella, turn to me so that pervert can't ogle your chest._

She did just that, trying to figure out what my problem was, so when Mike turned, he was disappointed, to say the least.

"Mike!" called the teacher curtly, forcing the boy to turn around. Instead, Mike focused on thoughts of my death by his hands, only making me want to laugh and kill him at the same time.

When the bell rang, I dragged Bella out of that classroom so fast, even the teacher was too slow to see where we'd gone.

**A/N: So there we have violent Edward, confused Bella and pervy Newton. I enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you did to!**

**Tell me what you think!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 11**

Urges

**A/N: Here's Saturday's update for all of you eager readers! I'm also proud to say that I'm no longer unemployed.... I've just been hired at a local Tim Horton's (a coffee shop, for those who don't know). I get $8.90/hour (student minimum), and I intend to enjoy that money...**

**But, along with a job comes another hindrance to my writing. Of course I'll use as much spare time as I have to write new chapters for my ongoing stories, but bugging for chapters DEFINITELY won't work on me, as it has in the past.**

**Anyways, enough job ranting... enjoy the chapter!!**

BPOV

Edward stared at me for the entire duration of biology, only looking away to glare at that kid, Mike. Mike glanced at us too, and Edward looked ready to eat the kid before I kicked him under the table, bruising my toe to force him to look at the teacher instead. Edward might be a nice guy and all, but his temper was one of the worst I'd seen, including Rosalie's.

After the class finished, I was confused and a little alarmed when Edward grabbed my hand as fast as he could, snatched our things from the desk and literally dragged me out of the room before the teacher could even notice we were gone. He had my hand firmly as he walked, stiff and angry down the hall, leaving the building to take a deep breath of fresh air. I saw Alice giggling behind me as she passed us to go to her next class, obviously knowing what Edward's mood was like. I stood with Edward for a long moment before he finally sighed, opening his golden eyes to give me a sheepish smile before he showed me to my algebra classroom, while he was forced into home economics.

Edward would be cooking.

I snickered to myself as I went into the most boring class of the day, finding my seat after the teacher signed my slip. I was sitting quietly when the teacher started the lesson, droning on about polynomials and variables. I took notes, not really paying attention as my mind drifted back to the biology room, where possessive Edward had made his appearance. Edward had obviously seen something unpleasant in Mike's head, and I knew it would be something sexual and explicit- the very things that irked him most. Why was it that when angry and irritated Edward came out that I felt like kissing him?

In biology, I'd gotten the strangest urge to lean over and press my lips to his, right there in front of the entire class. Seeing Edward being so uptight and gentlemanly only added to his perfection, and lately, he seemed even more perfect. I was supposed to be his sister for crying out loud, not a crazed girl who wanted to chase him for a bit of tonsil hockey! Was it wrong to kiss him? Sure, he was something like a sibling, but I still felt very differently for him than I did for Jasper and Emmett. Not once in my entire life had I felt the urge to smooch either of them in that way, but there was something different about Edward.

I needed a boyfriend.

Then, there was the lunchroom incident. Even Jasper knew I liked him.

First, Edward eats food to make me happy, even though it made him sick. Then, Mr. Perfect goes and dazzles me, making me look like an idiot while I stared at him. After that, he walks me to class, sits beside me, stares at me for the majority of the lesson, then finally drags me out after he's had enough of the thoughts coming from a horny teenage boy. He'd calmed, dazzled, flattered and protected me all in the space of two hours… how could someone not like that? He was just so damn perfect, as always.

"Isabella?" asked the teacher, pulling me out of my musing. I glanced at the board and cleared my throat, answering the dumb equation quickly as he smiled, writing it in.

"Correct." He said, moving right along with the lesson. I sighed, glad to have gotten the right answer instead of looking like an idiot.

What would happen if I _did _kiss Edward sometime? What would he do if I suddenly jumped him in the cafeteria, or perhaps the science room? Now _that _would be a biology lesson, alright…

I tried to keep the smirk off of my face, failing miserably as I glanced at the blackboard.

I could see it now… Edward and I in the science room, Mr. Banner leaves and Edward turns to me, right as I jump into his lap for the world's greatest make-out session…

Yeah right. Like Edward would want to kiss me- the plainest girl alive- not to mention someone he probably thought was his sister. That would be like Alice trying to kiss Emmett, or Rose kissing Jasper.

Just ew. For everyone besides me, that was.

Wait a second. Why was I even fantasizing about kissing Edward?! That was so out of bounds, it wasn't funny. If I kissed him, he'd freak out, yell, panic, then he'd leave or something else just as stupid. Edward was the king of overreactions, and having his human "sister" try and make out with him was a no-no. He would throw the Mount Vesuvius of hissy fits and explode at everyone and everything in his path.

Bad Bella.

I focused intently on the chalk-covered board as I took the notes carefully, trying and failing to get the images of Edward and I out of my head.

_Pull it together, Bella. Edward does _not _want to kiss you, or he'd have done it already._

But would he have? Would Edward be brave enough to spontaneously kiss someone? I doubted it, so maybe there was hope…

No. _Bad _Bella.

My god, this was fruitless.

Scratch bio. Algebra was officially the longest class of the day.

ooOoo

Finally, before my rampant thoughts could completely overwhelm me, the last bell rang, signifying our freedom for the rest of the day. It was dismissal now, and I darted out of that algebra room faster than anyone else, moving out into the chilled air of Forks. I had nothing to do for homework, so I simply marched over to the Volvo, waiting for the others. Alice and Jasper came out first, Rosalie and Emmett right behind. Edward was still nowhere to be found, but based on Alice's giggling, he was fine.

"Hey Bella." Said Alice, smirking at me as she glanced over to the cooking classroom door. I glanced over as well, just in time to see a disgruntled, very annoyed Edward coming out, obviously displeased with himself. He marched over and shot Alice a death glare before he opened my door stiffly, letting me inside without a word to anyone, slamming my door behind me. I cringed as Alice's tinkling laugh sounded through the air, turning irritated Edward into angry Edward. I smirked as the other four hopped into the BMW, speeding off down the road that led to our home. Edward spared me one glance before he followed, his hands clenched on the steering wheel.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, repressing the urge to kiss him again. God he was cute when he was angry… Good thing Jasper wasn't here right now, or he'd have jumped Alice already.

"Nothing." He said tersely. I scoffed, not believing him for a moment as he turned to me, exasperated.

"If you must know, I was forced to create and consume the most vile desert I've ever encountered." He said with a shudder. I forced myself not to laugh as he glanced at me for the verdict.

"Cookies?" I guessed, making him shudder again.

"Second worst then." He said, amending his description. "Rise Krispie squares." I laughed loudly.

"Wow. How gross." I said sarcastically, trying not to laugh at him again. He simply glared at me for a moment.

"Would you enjoy a raw steak? Blood in a cup, perhaps?" he asked pointedly, earning him a grimace.

"That's what it's like." He said, put out and frustrated.

"Couldn't you just pretend to eat it?" I asked, making him bark a loud laugh.

"No. The teacher thought they were lovely things, and she stared at me until I ate the entire thing." He grumbled. I snorted with laughter again, picturing the old, love-struck teacher staring at Edward as he forced himself to eat a Rice Krispie square. He just shuddered lightly as he sped down the road, catching up with Rosalie instantly. Knowing how much it bugged her, he sped up, his Volvo a mere inch away from her back bumper. Rose, annoyed and fearing for her precious car simply flipped him off, earning her a complaint from Emmett. Rosalie ignored her husband's whining about how mad Rose had been at him for doing that earlier today, but I knew Rose wasn't directing it at _me._

"Don't make her mad." I said, not wanting to deal with Rosalie all night long. Heaving a great sigh, he slowed down, earning a grimly triumphant smile from Rose through her mirror.

"Fine." Agreed Edward, just as we turned down the dirt path that led to home. Rose, Emmett, Alice and Jasper all filed out of the convertible, just as Edward parked beside it, opening my door before I even knew he was out of the car. The shock was short-lived when Rosalie came flying over to us, her face less than pleased.

"Edward, I swear to god if you try that one more time, your car won't live to see tomorrow." she threatened, her voice low and threatening. Edward simply smirked and I giggled, earning us a small growl from Rose as she went inside, not so much as glancing at anyone else.

"She'll get over it." Said Edward, in a much better mood as he walked up to the house. I smirked and watched as he opened the door for me, leading me inside.

"Piano before dinner." He decided, looking at me closely as I smiled, tossing my bag aside as we walked towards his favourite instrument, preparing to play another duet.

**A/N: Well, there we have it... Chapter 11. Drama coming in a few chapters, so get ready and... review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 12**

Worries

**A/N: Ok, here's chapter 12 of DITR Part 3. It's Rosalie's POV, since we haven't heard from her in a while, so enjoy that while it lasts. It's more of an internal dialogue, but there's some talking at the end. This is more of a filler chapter, but it'll help us understand Rosalie in future chapters. Rosalie, always the mother hen, is worrying about Bella growing old and leaving.**

**Please review! I have a goal for this story: I'd like it to reach 1500 reviews. We've gotten pretty close to that in the past, with around 1400, and based on the review count we have now, I say it'll be a piece of cake. **

RPOV

Weeks passed us by quickly in Forks, and I was pleased to see how well things were going thus far. The first few awkward days turned into happier ones, and after that, the days turned to weeks, and those weeks into a month. I, for one, felt that time was passing at an ungodly rate, but no one else complained so I held my tongue.

I'd always known that my family would do well here in Forks, since we could be more human than anything else, but it was Bella that had me worried. At first, I'd vehemently protested the return, knowing exactly what would pass through Bella's head. She'd remember the entire scenario from her youth, then we'd be in deep trouble when she started reliving her ordeals. Shockingly, the little, frightened girl I'd brought here years ago never returned, and the kind, strong girl we'd created kept her place. Not once had Bella mentioned the events of her childhood, and I was all the happier for it.

The first week was the toughest, but even then, it was good. The change was a lot for our little human, and her sleeping schedule suffered quite a bit at first. A new room with new surroundings and endless rain pelting on her window had kept her up until the early morning hours, when she'd fall into the deepest sleep I'd ever seen, only to be rudely woken up a few hours later by that infuriating alarm clock. I'd grown rather hostile towards the offending object, contemplating destroying it on more than one occasion. Only Bella's reassurance and discouragement had kept it intact, but only just. I'd let her stay home that first Friday to catch up on sleep.

That first weekend was one full of memories and reminiscing. Bella had been rather excited to remember all the activities she'd engaged in here, from Wii games to cookies. She remembered reading with Jasper in his bedroom, designing her room with Alice, playing Candyland with Carlisle and all the other things. She remembered when we first let her eat pretzels on the couch with Dora the Explorer on TV, and when Esme let her read magazines with her. She remembered me giving her a bath with her cast on her arm, as well as Alice telling her bedtime stories. It warmed my dead heart to know that those careful ministrations are what left such a lasting impression of us on Bella, and that they were the things that earned us her trust.

Now, Bella was a growing girl- almost a woman in her own right. She was flourishing beautifully, and if she wasn't my baby, I'd be green with jealousy. Sure, I'd been a pretty human, but that's just it- I'd been pretty on the outside, but vain and shallow on the inside. Bella was beautiful both inside and out, with a pretty face and a giant heart. She rivalled Carlisle in the compassion department, and I knew she loved unconditionally. Esme and Carlisle had done an excellent job of parenting her, and I appreciated the effort they put into it.

Now, she was sitting across from me, her nose buried in a book as she munched on a bowl of grapes. Her big brown eyes scanned the page carefully, never straying from the white paper. I could read the title and back cover of her book from here- Wuthering Heights- but I was more interested in the girl behind the book than the book itself.

She really was a good girl, in all aspects of her life. She was happy, well behaved, intelligent, very mature, polite, caring and absolutely selfless. As I watched her read her book, I smiled to myself. Not once had Bella sauced me back when I spoke to her, even when she was a little girl, fresh from the hospital. She had her moments, of course, but those moments only came up when she was upset or stressed. I'd never seen Bella behave badly just for the sake of it, even if she did have a temper to rival Edward. Her schoolwork flourished to a level beyond her years, and I was proud to know that she was smarter than the dunces she studied with. When I found myself comparing my baby to the dolts at the high school, I was almost glowing with pride. She didn't fit in with her peers, and I knew that was a good thing. Those kids would drink, take drugs, steal, lie and cheat- things that Bella never did. Even though Carlisle had a cabinet full of medications- some of which were illicit street drugs- Bella had never even tried to get some of them. Carlisle liked to experiment with certain things, and Bella was able to respect that. Alcohol was never a concern with her, and Jasper had told me that she was secretly afraid of those substances, knowing the harmful effects they had on the body.

Bella turned her page loudly, snatching another handful of grapes from her bowl. She ate them happily, either not noticing or not caring that I'd stopped reading my magazine to stare at her.

All in all, Bella was very happy in our new town, even with the old people that knew her. She knew as well as I did that Charles Swan was locked up in some sort of detention centre, and we were both quite pleased about that. As a young child, Bella rarely spoke about her biological father- or the "sperm donor", as I liked to call him. She never mentioned him, and in turn, we kept our silence as well. She considered Carlisle her father- no matter what her blood said- and we all knew that it was the truth. Carlisle was more of a father than that monster could have dreamed of being. Up until she hit her teenage years, she'd never so much as asked about him, but when her thirteenth birthday came around, she got curious. She'd hesitated to ask me the questions I knew she had, but eventually, with Jasper's help, we were able to coax the concerns out of her and things were cleared up. She'd wanted to know how long he'd been sentenced for, if he had a chance at parole, if he knew where she lived, what had happened that day in the closet and where he was currently being contained, amongst other things. She had a whole jumble of confused questions, and it astounded me that she'd managed to keep it quiet for so long. After the questions, tears and answers, she and I had spent some quality time together, just talking and clearing up any confusion she might have. After then, Bella had grown quite comfortable speaking with the family about her monstrous sperm donor…

"Rose?" asked Bella, making me glance up quickly. She had a grape halfway to her mouth and her book was open on her lap, but her eyes were glued to me.

"Yeah?" I asked, shaking my head lightly. Bella dropped the grape into the dish and closed her book, observing me intently.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly, concern etched on her face. I offered her a small smile and shook my head, making her eyes narrow sceptically.

"Rose." She said, adapting the very tone I used with her. I couldn't help but chuckle as she sighed, standing up quickly. She stumbled over to my side of the room, plopping down beside me as she looked up admiringly- just as she always did.

"Nothing Bella." I said, watching as she frowned lightly and laid her head against my cold arm. I always feared that she'd get sick from our temperature, but she assured us that she'd grown to love how cold we were- associating it with safety, I assumed.

"Something, Rose." She said, looking at me again. I watched her closely- the older version of the little girl I'd fallen in love with- and sighed, realizing how fast she'd changed.

"You're growing up." I whispered, making her smile.

"Yeah." She said softly, shrugging indifferently. To her, it might be a happy accomplishment. To me, it was a heart-wrenching fact- one that I wanted to change on a daily basis. Physically, she was only four years younger than myself, and I knew she'd eventually surpass me, turning from this youthful beauty into an old wrinkly lady with great-grandchildren.

"Is that what's bugging you?" she asked, making me smile proudly at my perceptive girl.

"I suppose." I admitted gently, pushing the magazine aside. She sighed and hugged me tightly, her cheeks darkening slightly.

"I'll still love you." She said, her voice muffled in my side. My dead heart melted and I snaked my arm around her as well, making her sit up and lean into me gently.

"I know that." I admitted, silently glowing.

"I don't care if I'll get old and wrinkly." She said, making me nod.

"I do." I whispered, making her frown.

"I know." She said back, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"It's just hard to watch you grow up." I admitted gently, making her nod quietly, a thoughtful look on her face. I kissed her cheek softly, relishing the warmth radiating from her.

"Rose?" she asked softly, looking up at me. The corners of my mouth tugged into a small smile as I observed her.

"Yeah?" I asked, pulling her closer.

"I love you." She said softly, her cheeks unblushing.

"I love you too." I said honestly.

She didn't know how true that was.

**A/N: So there's a Rosalie filler chapter... if I get enough reviews, I might post again tomorrow, since I have a few chapters already written for this one.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 13**

Meadow

**A/N: Okie dokie. Well, here we are with the promised early chapter, just because you're all such good reviewers. For some reason unbeknownst to me, FF isn't sending me my review alerts like it should, so I have to read them via the site instead. There were two main concerns brought up from the previous chapter, some of which were addressed by review replies before the site decided to be a dumbass.**

**Firstly, many of you are asking whether Bella and the family have ever spoken about her future and the idea of becoming a vampire. Although it was never written, Bella has spoken to the family about how vampires work and what happens when they change. University/college is another thing they've most likely discussed, but she still has a bit of time before then. Her siblings are more than able to help her choose the best path, and it won't be a problem when the time comes.**

** Does Bella want to be a vampire? As of now, she's not against it, but she's not really pushing for it either. In her mind, she's going to get old and marry a human boy. The entire family, Rosalie especially, has driven the idea of the American-dream life into her head, since that's what they want most for themselves. Children and aging are a big deal for Rose, so she's really pressing for it. Will Rose get her way? Probably not. **

**Bella's vampiristic thoughts will come more into play when we get to part 4, when she's older.**

**Someone also mentioned Bella's prior abuse from Part 1, the sexual abuse in particular. I can safely say that Charlie Swan never RAPED his daughter, but he DID sexually abuse her. No intercourse or anything, just touching, as was the case with the real-life counterpart. Now, don't ask me why the hell someone would do that, since I'm not said perpetrator, and not even in my wildest imaginings can I bring myself to comprehend what goes through sex-offender's minds. They all have a few screws loose, IMO.**

**Now with regards to that, the same person asked whether or not Bella consciously remembers it. Now, I think it's completely up to you, but in the last chapter, Rose talked about her reluctance to ask about her biological father, and only when she hit her teenage years did she get the nerve to ask. I imagined that Rosalie would have covered that briefly, but no, Bella doesn't actually remember the act. If you like to think she does, then go for it. She's almost over her prior abuse now, although the effects last a lifetime. Charlie doesn't scare or hinder her, so she lives a pretty good life.**

**Phew. Long note, but FF's being ridiculous and no review replies are working. Please read the note at the end and review your opinion on the question I'll ask there!!**

BPOV

"Bella." Said a voice from my doorway, forcing my head up from the dreary math questions in front of me. I glanced over at my door, smiling as I saw the grinning face that watched me.

"Hi Edward." I said softly, closing the thick algebra textbook. School had been going quite well lately, even if the workload was heavy. Edward invited himself inside and sat down on the small stool beside my desk, making me turn to him. His face was stretched into a huge grin, and he didn't seem to care.

"I have a question for you." He said, reminding me of Alice. I nodded and eyed him suspiciously, wondering what Emmett had dared him to do this time.

"Will you come someplace with me?" he asked, his voice calm, but obviously excited and eager.

"Where?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

"It's a surprise." He said, offering me his hand. Even if I hated surprises, I took his icy hand in my own, letting him help me to my feet. He smiled happily and went to my closet, taking out a pair of running shoes.

"Wear these and a heavy jacket." He said softly. "I'll meet you downstairs."

"Alright." I agreed, moving to take the shoes from him. He just smiled again and darted out of the room, leaving me alone.

What was he up to this time? Edward wasn't one for pranking and jokes, but sometimes Emmett managed to get him going. If _Jasper _had asked me to go, acting like that, there'd be no chance in hell that I'd agree. Only Edward could manage to pull me from my studies to go out with him under such suspicious circumstances.

I grabbed the thickest jacket I could find and a pair of stretchy gloves, slipping everything on as quickly as possible. I was just zipping my coat when my burly bear of a brother came into the room, smiling joyously.

"Come on Belly." He said happily, walking over to me. Before I could protest, he had me slung over his shoulder and out the door, where he flipped me onto my feet, right in front of Edward. I huffed, my eyes wide in shock as I calmed down from that spontaneous travel.

"What the hell?" I asked, looking between them. Edward shot me a disapproving glance, not liking that word, but Emmett just laughed.

"Edward was getting impatient, so I helped him out." said Emmett innocently, earning him a small glare.

"What are you two up to?" I demanded indignantly, looking between them.

"Nothing." Said Edward firmly, making me frown again. He reached out to take my hand, and I resisted the urge to turn and run back upstairs to finish the math homework.

"Don't worry kiddo. Captain Prude and I aren't in cahoots for this one. He's on his own." Emmett teased, making Edward scowl.

"Anyways, let's go." He said gently, leading me out the door.

"Bye Em." I said softly, watching as my biggest brother closed the door behind us, his face pressed against the window.

"Bye!" I heard him cry, his voice muffled and faint, but still audible. Edward smiled and pulled me towards his Volvo, making me smile. I went to get in, but he stopped me, earning him a small frown.

"What?" I asked, making him smile.

"We're not driving today." He said, eying my shoes. I frowned and he smiled, taking my hand again to lead me towards the trees beside the house. Shocked, and rather alarmed, I resisted, making him chuckle.

"You're perfectly safe. Dad just doesn't want you in here alone." Said Edward firmly. I simply nodded, feeling rather stupid as I followed him into the dense trees.

"I'll probably decapitate myself on a tree branch." I mumbled, making him laugh loudly, sending birds flying in distress.

"I'd never allow it." He said lightly, sniffing the air gently. There was a narrow path underfoot, wide enough for the two of us to walk side by side. He didn't let my hand go, and my mind was rejoicing. He slowed his pace, walking leisurely beside me as I focused on not stumbling and falling in the dirt.

"Where are we going?" I asked, making him smile wryly.

"Somewhere." He said vaguely, making me frown. He noticed and stopped walking, crouching to my height.

"Please let this be a surprise. You'll enjoy it." He said quietly, looking me right in the eye. The gold orbs bore into my own plain brown ones, sending my senses into overdrive. I was suddenly acutely aware of the sweet scent emanating from him, as well as all the brown undertones in his coppery hair. I gulped and took a shaky breath, only managing to nod quickly, making him smile. His sharp, white, perfect teeth glinted in the green light around us, making me stare even more.

"Bella?" he asked hesitantly, jolting me from my observations.

That stupid vampire had _dazzled _me.

"Sorry." I said quickly, blushing as I turned to face our trail. He just smiled happily and walked jauntily, making me smirk.

"What's got you so happy?" I asked, making his smile widen.

"I just think you'll really like this place." He told me, making me nod. I knew better than to pester Edward for details, knowing he was obstinate and incredibly stubborn. He wouldn't tell me.

"I hope so." I said, earning a low chuckle from him.

"Bella?" he asked softly, stopping again. I frowned and stopped as well, making him smile.

"We have to turn." He told me, making me frown.

"Turn where?" I asked, looking around us. There was a large, gnarled old oak tree right beside us, standing out amongst the pines, but there was no path branching off.

"There." He said, gesturing behind the oak tree.

"Where?" I asked again, looking for a trail. He laughed and shook his head, making me frown slightly.

"Silly Bella." He mumbled, almost too soft for me to hear.

"In there." He said, much louder than before. I frowned and stared at him, earning me a grin.

"Hop on." He said, making me frown as he turned around.

"Hop on?" I said sceptically, making him nod. He nodded and crouched down, perfectly poised for me to climb onto his back.

"On there?" I confirmed, pointing at his back. He laughed again and nodded, waiting patiently. I was sure my face was ten different shades of scarlet as I meandered over, clambering onto his back. I felt a strange jolt of unfamiliar emotion course through me and I fell even more in love with my mysterious vampire. When I was partially on his back, He slid his arms under my knees and helped me the rest of the way up, ensuring I was securely placed on his back.

"Hold on tight." He warned, an exuberant grin on his face, right before he took off at ungodly speeds, weaving through the trees.

A small shriek escaped me as I clamped my arms around him, fearing for my life as he avoided trees by mere inches, jumping logs and debris without a care in the world. The greenery passed around me in a nauseating blur, forcing me to clamp my eyes shut before I hurled all over his shoulder. My arms were sore in no time, and I was breathing heavily as he chuckled, not once loosening his grip on me. I didn't fall off of him as I'd feared, but when the wind died down and we stopped moving, my arms refused to unclamp from his neck, earning me another indulgent chuckle.

"You can let go now, Bella." Said Edward's soft voice, making me shake. His chest rumbled with laughter as he reached up and unfastened my death grip easily, reaching around to pull me off of him.

"You're rather green." He noted lightly, setting me down on the ground. I expected it to be wet and cold, but when it felt soft and almost warm, I opened my eyes.

I was sitting in the middle of a clearing- but not just any clearing. It was perfectly symmetrical- a perfect circle- with wildflowers poking through the grass underneath us. The grass was the perfect shade of green, and I was seated on a thick blanket, a large basket in front of me as the sun shone down through the gaps in the trees that branched out overhead.

"Edward?" I whispered, unwilling to speak, for fear of disturbing the tranquility of this place.

"Do you like it?" he asked quietly, setting himself down noiselessly beside me.

"It's beautiful." I admitted gently, making him nod.

"I found it yesterday." He said, laying back on the blanket. I glanced over at him and my breath was taken away as the sun hit his face, causing it to shine like a many-faceted diamond.

"Wow." I said, awed at his beauty. To see such a marvellous creature in such a beautiful setting was something for the fairytales, not commonplace Forks.

"Yeah." Said Edward, clearly thinking I was still talking about the meadow. I just nodded, blushing at the idea of telling him how beautiful _he _was. I couldn't help myself when I reached out to touch the side of his glittering cheek, earning me a small smile.

"Interesting?" he asked jokingly, earning him an honest nod. He just closed his eyes and sat as still as a statue, not moving, breathing or swaying at all. I was almost sure that I could hear my own heartbeat in this silent place, beating erratically in my chest.

"It's so pretty." I said, unsure which I was referring to- Edward or the meadow.

"I know. I knew you'd like it." He said quietly, sitting up fluently. "I thought I'd share it with you." He added with a sheepish shrug, earning him a massive hug.

"Thank you." I said honestly, my heart skipping a beat as his arms snaked around me in return.

"Anytime." He said gently, reaching around me to grasp the basket. I frowned curiously, watching as he opened it and reached inside, procuring a sandwich and some lemonade.

"Lunch." He said happily, offering me the food.

"Thanks Edward." I said, grateful that he'd given this to me before my stomach started snarling. He just nodded his reply and I took a bite out of the turkey sandwich, glad that Emmett wasn't here to eat it this time. I ate in relative silence, watching Edward as he observed his new sanctuary- _our _new sanctuary.

"How did you find it?" I asked, eating the last bite of my sandwich.

"Exploring." He said with a shrug, earning him a nod. "We lived here early in the 40s, before Alice and Jasper found us, but I never knew about it then. Last time, we were only here for a week or so and there was no time for exploring. The people barely even knew we existed when we left with you for Alaska. I went for a run yesterday and came across it. I knew you'd like it." He whispered.

"I do." I assured, taking a drink of lemonade.

"I'm glad." He said softly turning to me. His smouldering golden eyes were fixed on me as I watched him back, my breath hitching as he leaned in, his face inches from my own.

"We can come back here, if you want." He said gently, earning him a nod.

Six more inches and I could kiss him…

"I'd like that." I said breathlessly, earning me a radiating grin.

"So would I." he admitted, sitting back down. I felt a twinge of sadness when he pulled away, but having him lay down next to me was enough to replace that feeling. He patted the spot next to him and I laid down quietly, making him smile happily.

"It's relaxing." He murmured, closing his eyes and stopping his movements once again, looking like a carving.

The two of us stayed in the meadow for a long time before Alice called Edward and demanded that I come home to get ready for bed. The two of us hadn't realized how late it was and neither one of us wanted to leave, but Edward promised that he'd bring me back as soon as possible. He carried me all the way back to the house at his breakneck speeds, but I was prepared this time and refused to even glance at the ground and passing trees. It felt like wind was hitting me from the front, but I could feel no movement when he ran, and before long, we were home.

"Go inside before Alice shoots me." He muttered gently, earning him a small laugh. Alice could shoot Edward all she wanted and he'd still be walking around.

"Thanks." I said, hugging him one last time before I went inside, leaving him to go out for his Sunday night hunt.

**A/N: Ooh, do I sense some sexual tension there? Of course, Edward is oblivious, but Bella sure as hell isn't. I love playing with the oblivious Edward. I just might miss him when he's not so oblivious anymore. **

**Before you ask, NO, it was NOT a romantic date. Edward just thought of her when he found the meadow, and he wanted to share it with her. As far as he's concerned, they're FRIENDS. Nothing more. **

**Yet.**

**Now, for that question. I need a show of virtual hands for this one... would any of you be interested in reading a separate story with a collection of outtakes from DITR? For example, there was mention of an outtake involving Emmett having a tea-party with six-year old Bella in Part 1. They would be disconnected and sporadically updated, but suggestions would be taken into consideration...**

**Anyone? Review please.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 14**

Vision

**A/N: Ok, the fluff is starting to wind down. This chapter is the spark for the angsty portions... so reader beware. It's not too sad on its own, but maybe combined with future chapters... it could get a little sad. Sighs.**

**Well, I know it's early, but I wanted to update now. I know I got a job, but I also just quit that same job since they had me working 4 6-hour shifts in a row on school nights. I'd get home at 3, work from 4-10 then go to bed at 11. My math work suffered after only one shift, so I called and quit. Now I need a new job.**

**Again.**

**Well, enjoy the new chapter... I'm glad to see so much interest in outtakes! A few people said no since they were worried that it would impede on DITR updates, but that's not the case. The little one-shots would be a side-project that's always open to additions and suggestions... No time would be taken from Diamond in the Rough or Love Me Tender to come up with these little tidbits.**

**Please review and read the end note to see some of the one-shots I have thought up.**

EPOV

If someone asked me what my ideal Saturday would be, it would go something like this:

Firstly, I'd watch the sunrise with no clouds marring the view. I'd enjoy the reddish orange hues as they permeated the air, only lasting for a limited time before the colours were put away until the next morning, or perhaps the sunset, if I was lucky.

The first portion of my day would be spent at my piano, composing and playing to my heart's content, perhaps with Bella at my side. There would definitely be no Emmett to comment and advise me as I played, and no one would disturb us. I would feed the hungry human when the time came and enjoy my chance to observe her as she ate her food.

After the noontime meal, I'd bring Bella back to our meadow that I'd so recently discovered, and we'd sit down together and banter as we always did about useless things. Then, in that small, circular clearing, we'd watch the sunset with its own array of unique colours until the stars began to poke through. Since neither of us would have school the next day, I'd spend my time teaching her about stars and space, or perhaps sharing stories of my past. Bella liked hearing about my early days.

Now that was a lovely itinerary for my free time on Saturdays but I hated to admit that _this_ Saturday was nowhere close to that. Instead of relaxing and composing, I'd been dragged out to the Port Angeles mall, where I'd been appointed as the official bag holder for Alice and Bella.

It was amazing what Bella could do to me with just one well placed pout. I'd gone from being firmly against this trip, to a willing participant in the space of three seconds. Alice was insistent on dragging Bella along, and as soon as she shot me her saddest pout, I couldn't say no. That girl would be the death of me.

"Oh look Bell!" cried my energetic sister, flaunting some sort of red polo shirt at a irritated Bella. It waved in her face before she snatched it away from Alice, examining it critically.

"Too red." She decided, tossing it back on the rack. Alice frowned and crossed her little arms, looking at Bella firmly.

"Try it on." She ordered, pointing at the shirt. Bella's eyes rolled dramatically, but she took the shirt angrily, obviously displeased with Alice's obsession, stalking off to the dressing room. I glanced at Alice, taking her newest bag from her.

"Thanks Edward." Said Alice fondly, checking her watch before she glanced at the room Bella was changing in.

"Let's go missy!" cried Alice, clapping sharply. A discontented, unintelligible string of complaints came from behind the flimsy door, but it shot open nonetheless, revealing a disgruntled Bella in a very red top.

"Too red!" chirped Alice, slamming the door again. Bella groaned, already having known that as she took off the red shirt and put her old one back on. When she came out, her cheeks matched the polo, and her eyes flamed with silent anger.

"Don't be sulky!" trilled Alice, handing her another heaping pile of clothes. Bella's face turned to a mask of indifference as she gently took the pile of clothes, disappearing once more.

"Alice, I think she's tired." I said honestly, glancing back at the door. Alice pretended not to hear me as she browsed, finding a "lovely shirt" for Jasper. Personally, I thought it looked like all his other shirts, but Alice's mind swore that the sleeves were longer and the buttons were better.

"Alice!" cried Bella angrily, throwing one of the articles over the top of the door. Alice sighed, catching the tiny skirt as it flew, making me shake my head.

"You can't blame a girl for trying Bella!" she cried, handing the skirt to the stunned sales clerk.

"Watch me." Bella growled, amusing me to no end. Her temper was comparable to that of a kitten, and it was endearing.

"Don't laugh at me Edward!" she cried, having opened the door to face the two of us. I sobered up quickly and ducked my head, not wanting her to be angry with me as well. I never knew when I was forgiven with her, so I tried to stay on her good side.

"I'm sorry." I said sincerely, earning me an eye roll from Alice.

"Yes, yes, no, maybe, definitely no, and absolutely not." Said Bella, handing Alice a new piece of clothing with each word. Alice pouted when she handed her the last piece- a startlingly small halter top- but didn't complain, nodding to herself as she snatched the "yes" pile, darting to the cash.

"Can we go now?" Bella asked me, her eyes pleading. I sighed, glancing at Alice who was glaring daggers into the side of my head, shaking her head firmly.

_"Don't you dare say yes. There's a dress in the store down the hall that I need to convince her to get,"_ she thought.

"Alice says not yet." I said, making Bella groan as she looked at Alice, turning on the puppy dog eyes that had melted my resolve this morning. Alice's amusement grew exponentially as Bella tried to turn Alice's own devices against her, failing. Alice paid the clerk quickly and danced towards us, handing me the bags. My hands were quite full and a few human men were giving me sympathetic looks. Alice took Bella's hand and quite literally dragged her out of the store, Bella looking rather tired now.

"Alice please?" begged Bella, her voice small and worn out.

"The eyes don't work on me." Said Alice happily. "You might have Edward on a leash, but I'm not falling for that." She said, shooting me an amused glance.

"He is not on a leash!" cried Bella indignantly, voicing my thoughts. I smirked smugly, watching as Alice let out a high, tinkling laugh.

"Of course he is." She said, talking as if this were common knowledge.

"Whatever." Grumbled Bella, sounding quite unhappy now. Alice simply brought Bella to the store she'd been fawning over, pulling the girl inside. I was reluctant to follow, seeing the women's undergarments at the end of the store.

"Oh Edward, grow up!" cried Alice, laughing. To make me even more awkward, she snatched a very lacy thong, tossing it at me. My hands were full and I couldn't drop Alice's precious bags, so the stringy thing latched itself onto my head, earning me a full blown laugh from Bella.

"Alice!" she cried, failing in her attempts to sound offended. She saved me a lot of embarrassment by dashing over to take the thing off, allowing me to glare at my sister.

"Don't push it." I snarled, less than pleased, but Alice was already gone to the dresses on the side wall. I sighed and followed, swallowing my pride long enough to pass the bras and underpants with dignity.

"This one!" cried Alice, nearly ripping the blue dress off of the wall. Bella was a little stunned as Alice showed her the dress, making Bella smile. She actually seemed to like this one, until she caught sight of the five-digit price tag.

"Alice!" she spluttered, making my pixie sister frown.

"Never mind that." Said Alice, tearing the tags right off. Bella glared at Alice for even suggesting that, making her sigh.

"Just try it." She pleaded, turning the infamous puppy dog eyes on Bella. Bella, always selfless, relented, taking the dress and walking carefully to the dressing room. Alice saved her the trouble of attracting a clerk, and before long, Bella was in the dressing room.

"Untie the bow." Said Alice quietly, obviously having seen her difficulties. I sighed and glanced at the speckled carpet under my feet, avoiding the negligee draping the walls.

_"Oh, I just love this dress," _came Alice's thoughts. "_It looks so good on her. Maybe I can pretend to let her pay me back when she gets the money, then just conveniently forget about it later-"_

The thoughts were suddenly cut off by an oncoming vision. Alice's eyes stared into the future, appearing rather blank to anyone who didn't know better. The vision came on rather violently- almost screaming in her head.

_Two figures are embracing each other- a man and a woman. The man turns and I recognize him instantly- as if I was looking at myself in a mirror. I turn to gaze at the woman in my doppelganger's grasp as vision-Edward smiles tenderly and she reaches to run her small hand through the mess of bronze hair. The vision rotates, and I get a view of the woman entwined with vision-Edward._

_Bella._

_My reflection's smile widens, as does this strange version of Bella, and the vision-man reaches down and caresses Bella's hand._

_Her hard, white hand._

"_I love you." She whispers, her voice gentle and serene. The sound was music to my ears, sweeter than any song, and when she spoke, shivers ran down both mine and vision-Edward's spine._

"_And I love you." Said this vision-creature, speaking with my voice. I saw my reflection grasp the hand it had caressed, lifting it to his lips._

"_My wife." The creature murmured, earning a wide smile from vampire-Bella._

"_Aren't you glad you gave in?" asked Bella, making the vision-Edward smile wryly._

"_Indeed, I am. Could I do _this _with a human?" he teased, right before he leaned in and closed the gap between them, his lips reaching hers…_

The vision abruptly cut off, and a slew of emotions tore through me, rendering me immobile. Alice snapped back to reality, her golden eyes flashing to me, reflecting the same shock and surprise as me.

Only Alice looked pleased.

I was the polar opposite of pleased- I was revolted. Bella startled us both when she started huffing over the uncooperative zipper on her dress and Alice shot me an excited smile, dashing under the door as I stood, motionless and disgusted.

I was going to change Bella?

No. She was _human. _She had a soul, a life, a heartbeat and a future. How could I be selfish enough to steal that from her? I couldn't rip her humanity from her just so she could become my wife. No.

Bella shouldn't be my wife. She was so good- so pure- and I was tainted. I had killed, massacred, desecrated, injured, jaded, and all sorts of other grisly crimes, and she had done nothing. She needed to marry a human man- one with a prosperous future. She would be happy with him, grow old and have his babies, as much as I wished she wouldn't.

Monsters weren't allowed to claim angels. It was blasphemous.

And she _was _an angel. A perfect, untainted, gentle angel.

She was like Little Red Riding Hood, and I was the big bad wolf. She was the beauty, I was the beast. She was Snow White, I was the poisoned apple. She was the good, I was the bad. I know opposites were supposed to attract, but this was just _too _opposite. The vampire could never fall for the human, no matter how much he wished he could…

No. I did _not _wish I could marry Bella. She was eons younger than myself, and absolutely off limits.

I had to get out of here.

"Carry the bags out Alice." I said, too low for Bella to hear me.

_"No, Edward," _came Alice's rushed, worried thoughts. "_What are you doing?"_

"Leaving." I snarled darkly, my words more implicit than she knew.

_"No,"_ she thought again, just as I dropped all twenty shopping bags, darting out of the store as fast as I dared.

**A/N: So there we have it. Now we know why Edward leaves. He's scared of the future, I guess we could say.**

**Now here are some outtake possibilities I've thought up. If you have any that are different from these that you'd like to see, please let me know via review or PM.**

**1. (Part 1) Bella/Emmett tea party (Bella is 6-7)**

**2. (Part 1) There was mention of Bella playing outside and her ball rolls onto the road. It would be this scene from EmPOV and maybe RPOV.**

**3. (Part 1) "Fantasy Outtake" (didn't really happen in the story, but was requested numerous times) Some sort of Charlie death scene**

**4. (Part 1) Emmett and Bella prank Edward**

**5. (Part 1) A school lesson with Jasper (Bella around 6 years old again)**

**6. (Part 1) Outing to Seattle with Carlisle**

**7. (Part 1) Grocery shopping with Esme**

**8. (Part 1) Shopping with Alice**

**9. (Part 1) Piano lesson with Edward**

**10. (Part 1) Bedtime with Rosalie**

**11. (Part 2) Bella's first period (as requested by one reader.)**

**12. (Part 2) Learning about the Civil War with Jasper**

**13. (Part 2) EmPOV of the school closet incident**

**Please review, and anymore suggestions (only from parts 1 and 2 for now) would be appreciated! Look for the new story soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 15**

Departures

**A/N: Ok, here's a quick update for everyone.... I've been uber busy yesterday and today trying to find a decent New Moon download.... My town decided to pass up the movie and let all the stupid tiny towns about two hours away get the movie instead, so we won't get it at all in our theater. No one wants to drive me two hours just to see a movie, so I'll settle for a downloaded version.**

**The update HAS NOT BEEN EDITED FOR THE FINAL TIME, so beware of spelling/grammar errors that slipped through earlier. I'm not even supposed to be on my computer, so be happy there's an update at all.**

BPOV

The blue dress was lovely, but much too expensive, I decided. Alice was fighting a hopeless battle when she even thought of trying to coax me into this one and as much as I wanted to give in, there were better things we could do with thousands of dollars. I sighed and reached behind, grasping the small zipper to take it off, only to find it stuck and unmoving on my back.

"For real?" I asked angrily, tugging the uncooperative tab. It jerked the dress down, threatening to rip, making me sigh. Alice and Edward weren't paying any attention to me and my dress problems, so I took a risk and yanked the zipper angrily, sighing in relief when it came undone.

"There." I muttered, sliding the dress off. I sighed and put it back on its hanger, right before a loud thud was heard outside the change room, and Alice's designer-clad feet appeared in the space under the door.

"Come on." She said emotionlessly as flung the door to my change room open. I looked out and saw all twenty of our bags on the ground, Edward nowhere to be found.

"Can I help you-" started the subdued clerk, right before Alice nearly threw the blue dress in his face, snatching up all the bags in front of us. The man was stunned, but Alice left too quickly for explanations, dashing out of the store at an almost inhuman pace.

"Come on Bella." She said quietly, a larger frown on her face. She dashed right through the front doors, not even trying to get me into another shop on the way. I frowned, chasing after her until we hit the Porsche and Alice shoved the bags into the back seat.

"In." she said, pointing me to the passenger side. I frowned and got in, gasping when Alice sped off without even letting me put my seatbelt on. She glanced over at me awkwardly as I stared at her, not sure what had brought on her sudden mood swing.

"Alice?" I asked, my voice squeakier than normal. Seeing my worry and fear, she smiled at me, although it didn't reach her eyes.

"Relax Bella." She said softly, pushing the Porsche to the max.

"Where's Edward?" I asked, wondering how mad he'd be when he found out we left him at the mall.

"At home." She said quietly, glancing sadly at the clock. I frowned and she sighed, watching the road carefully. It was getting dark now, and the sky was a deep grey.

"How did he get there?" I asked, confused. Alice just shook her head cryptically, making me stare at her some more.

"We'll find out in a minute." She said, letting a thick silence fall between us.

The drive from Port Angeles to Forks was supposed to be an hour, but Alice cut it down to twenty minutes with her manic driving. She had precise control over her car and I barely had time to gasp when she fishtailed into our long driveway, speeding down the dirt path. Her car went so fast, it was barely jolted on the rocks and potholes. When the house came into view, I saw the inviting lit windows and the silhouettes of our family waiting for us.

"Come on." Whispered Alice, dashing around to my side of the car. Alice was scaring me now, especially when she scooped me out without the bags, running inside.

"Edward!" hollered Alice angrily, putting me down in the entranceway. I stared as my pixie sister shoved Emmett aside, rushing up the stairs. Emmett turned to me, his face grave and confused, only making me even more scared.

"What's wrong?" I demanded, looking at him. He shrugged and glanced at the stairs, just as a ferocious growl came from the upper floor, chilling me to my core.

"Edward no!" cried Alice, sounding quite distraught. Mom suddenly came into view, her gentle face downcast and almost tearful.

"Come here dear." She said, pulling me into a tight hug. I hugged her back, more confused than ever as Alice shot down the stairs backwards, her hands flapping and her voice chattering at inhuman speeds in front of Edward.

Edward.

The look on his face was one I'd never seen before, and it scared me. It was completely devoid of emotion- almost cold. His eyes were downcast, ignoring his sister's frantic gestures as he simply walked, making no move to remove Alice from his path.

"What's going on?" I demanded, my voice firmer than I thought it would be. Only then did Edward look up, his hardened eyes meeting my own.

"Come here." He said, his voice drab and daunting. I frowned and refused to move, watching as his eyes melted back into the familiar golden pools I adored. He sighed and moved closer to me instead, his eyes never leaving my own. His face looked conflicted, as if he was debating with himself over something only he could comprehend. I knew he'd made up his mind when his face turned cold and hard again, his hand reaching out to take my own.

"Come with me." He said, his voice falsely inviting.

"Edward!" cried Alice, lunging forward. Jasper grabbed her mid-jump, stopping her attempts at restraining Edward, and a few colourful adjectives spilled from her mouth, making her husband frown sadly.

"Let it go, Ali." He said gently, looking at Edward with sad eyes. Edward shot him a thankful look as his cold hand encased my own, leading me to the front door.

"Come on." Said Edward impatiently, dragging me outside. He closed the door behind us and pulled me along, walking briskly towards the tree line- the very place we'd gone when we found the meadow.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice betraying my fear. He turned and glanced down at me, ignoring my question as he pulled me into the dense trees. It was very dark in here now, but Edward's skin seemed to emit a soft glow in the dull moonlight. He looked so ethereal right now, and if I wasn't so scared, I'd have been drooling over him.

"Bella." He said softly, stopping in his tracks. I nearly walked into his backside, only just managing not to fall over. He turned to face me, although his golden eyes were glued to the forest floor instead of me.

"What's wrong?" I asked again, making him laugh humourlessly.

"Everything." He whispered lowly- almost too low for me to hear.

"What?" I asked, my voice shaky and confused.

"I've been doing this for far too long." He said, his voice like smooth velvet. I stared, utterly baffled.

"Doing what?" I asked, fear rising by the second.

"This charade." He said softly, shaking his head incredulously. His eyes still didn't meet my own.

"What charade?" I asked, my voice a bit louder now.

"Come on Bella." He said scornfully, looking at the trees instead. I watched him as he began to pace, shaking his head softly.

"What?" I asked again, wanting a straight answer.

"Our kinds were never meant to be together." He said softly, making me frown. My mouth refused to form words.

"I'm a vampire, Bella." He said softly, eying his hands nervously. "And you're…"

"A human?" I finished angrily, making him smile.

"Exactly. I'm glad we're on the same page." He said, nodding to himself.

"The same page!?" I shrieked, my voice returning with a vengeance. He glanced at me briefly, making my heart fall.

He looked so angry.

"Yes, the same page." He snapped, not looking at me anymore. I felt tears prickling in my eyes as he paced once again, speaking softly.

"I'm not a human. I can't act anymore. I can't deny my instincts." He mumbled, making me freeze.

"Your instincts?" I asked, suddenly fearful of this Edward.

Where was _my _Edward?

"I won't bite you." He said softly, calming my fears. He seemed to be speaking to the both of us.

"Why are you talking like this?" I asked, making him smile and shake his head.

"This is it, Bella." He said gently. "I'm sorry I've fooled you for so long." Icy fear installed itself in my brain, rendering me rather incompetent.

"I should have done this right from the start, when Carlisle and Esme adopted you. This is no place for one of your kind, although my family disagrees." He whispered.

"Edward." I said quietly, his words cutting me deeply.

"Humanity is not what we are. We're your predators." He said simply, looking at me with his cold eyes once again.

The frigid orbs felt like they were stabbing holes in my delicate heart, making me want to fall over and scream.

"Humanity isn't good enough for you?" I asked, waiting for him to denounce my worst fear.

"No." he said, shattering my hope. The tears that had been brewing fell over, tracing small rivulets down my cheeks.

I'd always known I was no good for Edward. How could I have thought that I could find my place with a strong, independent vampire? I was a fragile, silly human girl, and was a fierce, wise, durable creature. He was immortal, whereas I was doomed to die. He would be forever seventeen, and I would grow old and wrinkly, only to be buried in a box in a cemetery.

"This is goodbye, Bella." He said softly, stopping his pacing. His words drove a metal stake through my heart, and I suddenly found it hard to concentrate.

"Where are you going?" I asked, my voice cracking sadly. He walked backwards, and my feet spurred me forwards as my brain registered that he was serious.

"Someplace." He said vaguely, shrugging. "I'll be back in a few decades." He said softly.

"When I'm gone." I confirmed, the words cutting into me.

"Yes." He said honestly, looking at me without regret. "I'm sorry." With those words, he turned on his heel and began to walk away, leaving me in the dark.

"Please don't go." I managed to choke out, watching as he stopped dead in his tracks. He wheeled back around, his cold eyes molten gold once more as he took in my tearful appearance. He moved back over to me at his intense speeds, stopping a mere foot away from me. I felt his arms snatch me into a tight hug and I relished it, grabbing him into a death grip.

He couldn't leave.

"Our family loves you." He said softly in my ear, his sweet breath stunning me. I simply shivered in the cold, my bare arms covered in goosebumps.

"Be safe." He whispered, pulling away. I refused to let him go and my hands curled around his shirt, making him sigh sadly as he removed my grip with ease.

"No." I said sadly, trying vainly to grab him again. I felt his hands grip me again, and I tried to snatch him back, but to my dismay, his cold, steel arms pinned my own fragile ones to my sides as he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. I caught one last whiff of his impeccable scent before there was a small breeze, and Edward was gone.

**A/N: A teary chapter for you all... now the angsty parts are coming. Never fear though! Edward WILL come back.... sometime.**

**Review please!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 16**

Chase

**A/N: Ok, sad cliffie last chapter, but here's the next installment of the story. I hope you all like it, since I liked writing it.... oh and by the way... GO JASPER! We'll see some of his POV in this one!**

BPOV

_Gone. Gone. Gone._

That horrid word echoed through my mind as I stood motionless in the thicket of the trees, the forest trail underfoot. Leaves blew past me, gentle rustling the only audible sound as the cool wind blew around me, bringing in a misty rain.

Edward was gone.

I stared at the path where he'd disappeared, using all my willpower to bring him back to the family- to me. I needed him more than ever right now, and yet, he was gone. It was odd that _he _was the reason I needed him in the first place. If he wouldn't have left, I wouldn't be pining for him-

As I stared up the path, I could have sworn I saw a glint of bronze, and that sent my mind into overdrive.

My feet spurred forward with more speed than I knew I had in me, and I flew up the path that had stolen my Edward. I ran as fast as I could, tears streaming as the rain intensified from a mist into a light drizzle, cold and icy on my bare skin. My shoes thumped loudly on the path as I ran into the darkness, not caring that there could be some sort of wild animal on my trail.

I didn't care if a rogue vampire found me right now, as long as that glint of bronze didn't get away.

Soon, the small amount of light in the air around me disappeared, leaving me in total darkness.

The air my body was consuming came in great painful gasps as I tried to calm down, still tearing down the path. Everywhere I looked, little blooms of bronze and white flashed in the blackness, forcing me to change directions. I could faintly see the trees I was passing, and I was mildly astounded that I hadn't hit one of them yet. I was sure I'd strayed off the path, but those glints were taunting me, always just out of my reach. I snatched vainly at the air, trying my best to grab that colour back, knowing in the back of my mind that it was futile.

I didn't feel the cold, the rain or the fear; I only felt the crushing sadness and panic as I ran, stumbling over a few stray roots and branches. The brambles coming from the dense trees whipped my arms and legs mercilessly, yet somehow, I didn't seem to care. The little cuts were stinging me, yet the pain was irrelevant compared to the pain that was coming from my heart. Edward had chopped a hole much bigger than the one from these brambles, and I knew that the small nicks and cuts weren't important.

Edward was important.

Suddenly, I felt something catch my foot and I was sent sprawling to the forest floor, my arm catching on a thick branch on the way down. A stinging, shooting pain flew up my arm and I was sure I felt warm blood oozing out, but I couldn't move. The muddy ground became my sanctuary, and that's when I realized that I was crying. Loud, crushing sobs were tearing through me as the rain poured- as if someone was dumping buckets from the sky. As I glanced around me, I couldn't see much, but I knew I'd strayed from the path, and I was lost.

My body was numb, but my heart was hypersensitive. I felt it beating as I laid there, each loud thump feeling like a shot to the chest. Each beat seemed to bring me further and further away from the bronze blooms, and before long, the feelings crushed me completely, and a better darkness came.

* * *

JPOV

The torrential downpour picked up outside the house, and I glanced around at my silent family, none of us speaking.

Alice had explained everything, with my help to keep calm, and we all found ourselves in quite the predicament. Bella was to be Edward's wife? Bella was the one Edward had been waiting nearly 100 years to meet? Our little Bella? I wasn't sure what to make of that, all things considered. I glanced at my grimly pleased brother and father, both of them staring at their respective mates, while Alice rubbed her temples angrily, silently cursing our brother. Edward had panicked- taken off to someplace in South America to change fate. He refused to be the one responsible for "damning" Bella, and now, he was gone.

And so was Bella.

Two hours ago, Edward had dragged Bella outside to say goodbye to her privately, and probably convince her that this was for the best. Alice's head was bursting with impending visions, but she wanted to give the pair some privacy in these tense moments, so she'd left them alone.

"His wife?" asked Rosalie suddenly, the reality hitting her hard. Bella was her baby in every sense that mattered, and knowing that her daughter would marry her brother was odd, to say the least.

"Good for him." said Emmett gruffly, more than irritated with Edward for leaving like he did. Rosalie scowled at her brute of a husband, simply glancing at me. Esme was sitting, shocked and sad in the loveseat, glancing worriedly out the window.

"Idiot!" snapped Alice angrily, looking out the window as well. "How dare he run off?" she demanded, looking at me. I sighed, sending her a wave of calm to relax her, which only served to enrage her.

"Don't you dare." She hissed at me, her finger pointed at me accusingly. I frowned and walked over to her, sitting beside her. I immediately felt her onslaught of guilt, only worsening the emotional overload I was feeling right now.

"Carlisle?" asked Esme's soft voice, making our leader turn to her.

"Yes dear?" he asked, sitting beside her.

"When will she come back?" she asked worriedly, glancing at the clock. It was now 9 at night, and I had to admit, I was getting worried too.

"Soon dear." Soothed Carlisle, making Esme nod sadly. Carlisle stood gently, walking over to Alice, who glanced over at him as he sat next to her.

"Anything?" he asked softly, making Alice frown.

"I don't want to spy." She said sadly, turning to me apologetically. I sent her a wave of love, and I knew she felt it when she grinned softly.

"It's been a while." Said Carlisle reasonably, making Alice nod. She simply stood to hug me, giving me a chaste kiss.

"Sorry." She whispered, making me smile.

"It's alright Ali." I said gently, making her nod as she went to the window, peering outside. I saw her close her eyes as she thrust her subconscious into the unknown of the future, her face serene and calm.

No one spoke or moved as Alice watched the future, coming back with a loud gasp. A wall of panic and terror hit me all at once, and I found myself leaping out of my seat in sheer panic before I got a hold of myself.

"Alice?" I asked firmly, darting over to examine my panicking wife.

"Go." She said loudly, making me frown in hurt. The injured feelings didn't last long when she turned to the rest of the family, staring them all down.

"Go!" she cried, her emotions wild and overwhelming. Emmett jumped up, looking at Alice carefully, his own feelings alarmed and on "protective" mode. He was ready to fight.

"Go where?" he asked, looking at my pixie for direction.

"Find her!" she shrieked, her whole body shaking. Before anyone could grab her, she darted out of the room, coming back seconds later with an armful of jackets.

"Alice, what's happening?" asked Esme. Our mother's soft voice seemed to momentarily break through her hysteria, and she launched into an explanation.

"Edward left her on the path right outside and she must have tried to follow him!" she cried sadly. Carlisle jumped up too, and a grisly, worried snarl came from Rosalie.

"She ran off the path. She's on the ground…" said Alice, shaking her head in confusion.

"We've got to find her." She said finally, earning nods from the rest of us. Esme was frozen in her seat as Alice took control, knowing where everyone needed to be.

"Go!" cried my wife again, and none of us needed to be told again. I snatched my jacket off of the pile and threw it on, shoving my feet into my shoes before I dashed out, nearly being bowled over by Emmett. Rosalie sniffed the air and glided smoothly into the trees, while the rest disappeared as well. I took a path far from the one she'd started on, knowing very well that the scent she'd left would have been washed away or displaced by this rain.

The downpour was almost enough to hinder my eyesight, but I managed to see almost perfectly through the monsoon-like conditions. The leaves on the ground were floating in their own puddles of water as I inhaled the air, trying to catch even the slightest whiff of her scent. I was an excellent tracker from my time in the south, and I'd tracked countless creatures- vampires and humans alike. Bella would have been an easy find, if this rain had been less heavy.

"Bella!" I hollered, deciding to use all of my senses to find her. Smell was a great thing, but my hearing was excellent as well, so I knew I'd hear her from miles away.

No response came besides my wife's similar cry in the distance. I also heard Esme calling out for her a few miles off, with Carlisle, Rosalie and Emmett even farther off.

I did all I could, calling out again and again, trying to find my little human sister and bring her home safely.

ooOoo

Hours passed in the rain, and before long, I was soaked to the bone. My jacket was starting to freeze because of the cold rain and my frigid skin, and my shoes were damaged beyond repair.

Alice wouldn't be angry this time.

I hadn't spoken to my family since we'd started searching, but somehow I knew none of them had found her. I was miles off the beaten track now- in the thick of the forest- and there were no emotions to be found.

No emotions, no Bella.

She was still out of my range, but I wouldn't give up my searching. If only I'd remembered my cell phone…

Just as that thought passed through my head, I caught a whiff of the scent I was searching for.

Bella.

Bella's blood.

The sickening panic and elation caught me all at once, and I dropped to my knees, examining the bramble that had undoubtedly caught her ankle. I inhaled the air down there, finding a trail, leading into a denser portion of the forest. I followed the trail on my hands and knees for a long moment before I noticed it rising- where the brambles cut her arms.

As sick as it made me to know that she was injured, I was also thankful that she'd left me something to track her with. Without this blood, we'd have never caught her tonight, and she'd be out in this rain without a jacket until morning.

The bloody trail was screaming to me, calling out my primal instincts as I ran, but I refused to give in to such deplorable ideas. Never would Bella's blood become my next meal, no matter how good she smelled. We'd crossed this hurdle when she was just six years old, and I knew that I couldn't hurt her even if I wanted to.

But my throat still burned.

Before long, I caught the scent of Bella's shampoo, alerting me to how close I was to her. This part of the forest was darker than any other, and soon, another strong whiff of blood hit me.

Fresh blood.

I first saw her from a few yards away- a small, crumpled form lying motionless on the ground. My heart sank as I darted over, dropping to my knees beside her. The tracker was replaced with the big brother, and my concern for her overwhelmed my want for the sticky liquid coming from a gash on her arm.

"Bella." I said gently, reaching out to her. She faced away from me, so I couldn't tell if she was awake, but judging by her slow heartbeat and shallow breathing, I'd have to say she was unconscious. I was no medical professional, but I did know that bluish fingertips weren't healthy, and neither was intense shaking.

"Bella?" I asked, my voice louder as my old southern drawl came back out, as it always did when I was under pressure.

No response.

I reached over and turned her over, my mind reeling as I saw her pale face- eyes closed and her entire body soaked. My frozen coat would do her no good right now, but I took it off anyways, removing my t shirt and putting it on her instead. It helped block out the rain a bit, and I felt her shake violently when I picked her up.

Not since my days in Mexico had I felt this scared, but this time it wasn't for my own safety.

"You're safe now." I murmured as I took off, heading straight for the house. The rain continued to pour down on us, and I heard distant thunder crashing, approaching our destination.

The run was short, since I ran as fast as I possibly could. She needed to be warm, and my icy skin was only hurting more than helping. When the house came into sight, I saw the front door crash open as Emmett, Rosalie and Esme flooded out, Rosalie letting out a shrill shriek of terror before she shoved her way through, panicking worse than ever before. I'd never seen Rose so scared before, and I willingly handed her the limp child, knowing I needed to hunt.

"Get her inside." I said quietly, kissing Bella's forehead as Rosalie dashed inside, throwing the jacket off of her as Emmett and Esme followed close behind, allowing me to dash back into the forest to search for some large carnivores to satisfy my thirst.

**A/N: So there we have it.... Jasper's return. We haven't heard from him in a while (too long), and just a heads up... next chapter is Emmett's POV, so brace yourselves! We need some more of the brotherly love, especially now that Edward the Douche has taken his rightful place. It's kind of funny that this is MY story, and yet I still managed to anger myself over Edward's decision... maybe he has a mind of his own?**

**Review please!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 17**

Found

**A/N: So after Jasper's POV, we have Emmett! It's a shorter chapter, but more will come soon! Please review!**

EmPOV

Rosalie cradled Bella gently as she darted inside, leaving Jasper to hunt and rid himself of the thirst from Bella's blood. Esme followed closely behind her eldest daughter, leaving me to take up the rear as I closed the door behind us, darting to the living room. Rosalie was laying Bella on the couch- dirt and all- where she shook violently, her eyes still shut. I frowned deeply and moved closer to her as Rosalie examined her bleeding arm closely. I'd seen so many cuts and scrapes on her over the years that I'd grown desensitized to her now. Esme was stroking her filthy hair softly, moving stray pieces from her face as Rosalie continued assessing the damage.

"Rose, call Carlisle." I said, making her nod as she stood, taking the small silver phone from her pocket. She dialled the number and stepped away from Bella, letting me through.

I loved my little human sister, and seeing her so cold and broken was heart wrenching. It took quite a bit to sadden a guy like me, but this was one thing that could do it in a heartbeat. I wanted to hug Bella and kill Edward at the same time, and I wanted to make her better.

"Carlisle, Jasper found her." Said Rose as soon as Carlisle picked up. I saw her nodding to herself before she snapped it shut, glancing over at Bella. Slowly, I lifted her uninjured arm, checking her pulse. It was steady, so I deemed it safe enough. I'd taken pre-med courses a few times over the years and I knew what was good and bad with regards to heart rates. The slice in her arm would need stitches, but I wasn't risking screwing that up when Carlisle was on his way.

"Poor baby." Murmured Esme, kissing Bella's wet forehead. Without another word, Esme was up the stairs, and I heard her rummaging through the linen closet in the upstairs hallway. She returned moments later with towels and blankets, proceeding to dry off Bella as best she could and cover her with the thick duvet. Rosalie eagerly participated in this ritual, letting me step aside. I watched with wide, sad eyes as my wife and mother tried to warm up the frozen human, not very successful. She shook and shivered under the blankets, but nothing more could be said on the matter before Carlisle and Alice burst through the door, both soaked and very worried. Alice shot Bella a sad glance before she dashed upstairs for dry clothes, letting Carlisle come to Bella. He moved her duvet and frowned, glancing at her bleeding arm.

"I'll change." He murmured, his mind undoubtedly focused on hygiene. Esme nodded and wrapped Bella's long, dark hair in a towel, wringing it out. The excess water dripped onto the floor, but was wiped up instantly with a towel, making me frown. Esme, unhappy with Bella's current state, gestured for me to hold her hair in its wrappings, letting me do that while she continued to dry the rest of her. Rosalie watched, her face very sad and angry at the same time, just as Alice and Carlisle returned. I was still drenched, but nothing could make me move from my post as hair-holder.

Carlisle had his black leather medical bag in hand as he gently ushered his wife out of the way, dropping to his knees beside his human child. He lifted her injured arm gently, placing it on the white duvet. I saw the crimson stains already formed from it, making me frown, but Carlisle merely opened his bag and took out some saline solution, some disinfectant, an injection of local anaesthetic and some materials to stitch up the wound, and began methodically cleansing and sewing. I watched, grimly fascinated by the process, and I was glad to see the wound closed and clean after Carlisle had finished. He wrapped it up carefully and set it back under the now-dirty blanket, taking out a thermometer. He stuck in her mouth gently, waiting patiently until it beeped, revealing a case of mild hypothermia. I frowned.

"She's cold." He said sadly, sounding more upset than he looked. Esme, most unhappy with that fact, dashed up to get more blankets. Rosalie and Alice had yet to move from their places.

Without another word to anyone else, Carlisle took out a stethoscope, listening to both sides of her chest carefully before he put that away as well. I watched him lean over her carefully to kiss her chilled forehead gently, just as his wife reappeared with the blankets.

"Don't warm her up too quickly." He murmured, making me nod. Esme nodded and took the original duvet off of her to scoop her up quietly, dashing upstairs. Rosalie followed and I heard a tap start up for them to wash her off and change her into pyjamas.

"What did he do?" murmured Carlisle, sitting down in an armchair. Alice and I glanced over, sitting together on a loveseat. Unable to restrain myself, I pulled my other little sister closer, unhappy with the state of the youngest. She complied and sat quietly, letting me squeeze her all I wanted.

"Jasper's coming back in ten minutes." Said Alice softly, making our father nod.

"Alice, do you know what he said to her?" asked Carlisle angrily, making Alice shake her head.

"I just saw her passed out on the ground." She said gently, earning her a nod. "I assumed that's what happened before, but I don't know for sure. You'll have to ask Bella when she wakes up." said Alice gently.

"Alright." Said Carlisle, making me sigh.

"I'll kill him." I snarled venomously. I wanted nothing more than to chase Edward down to give him a piece of my mind. Anyone who hurt my baby sister, brothers included, earned themselves a spot in my bad book. If Edward kept going at this rate, he'd have an entire volume of my bad book dedicated to him.

"He's gone." Said Alice sadly, her small voice breaking. I stared at her, my rage growing exponentially.

Both sisters? He was a dead man.

No pun intended.

"He'll come back." Said Carlisle confidently. I stared at my father, openly curious and a little sceptical.

"He's left before." Said Carlisle sadly, remembering Edward's rebellious stage before I was even a part of this family. Alice just nodded, already knowing all of this as the taps upstairs were shut off, and clothing began to shuffle around.

"Do you want her back down there?" asked Esme gently, her soft voice comforting me slightly.

"No, put her to bed." Said Carlisle tiredly, standing up with his medical bag. Alice followed him as he darted upstairs, leaving me in the empty living room.

I wasn't alone for long, since Jasper came into the house, soaked and rather frustrated. He spared me one glance before he dashed off upstairs, his and Alice's shower starting up. Within minutes it was turned back off and I saw him coming back downstairs, clean and dry. He wordlessly sat down across from me, staring questioningly.

"Where did you find her?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Ten miles southwest of here." He said sadly, pointing vaguely in the right direction. I heard Carlisle re-examining Bella upstairs, no one daring to interrupt him.

"Close her curtains." He said softly, just as someone turned on her old nightlight and tucked her into bed.

Rosalie.

"Was she awake?" I demanded, turning to Jasper. He was staring at the floor and he sighed heavily before responding.

"No." he admitted gently, making me snarl.

"Want to go hunting?" I asked ominously, making Jasper smirk.

"Don't you dare." Said a voice behind me, managing to startle me. Alice stood behind me, hand on her hips as she glared- her gaze more hurt than angry.

"What?" I demanded curtly, not in the best of moods.

"Edward's gone, Bella's basically gone, you can't go too!" she cried, her eyes brightening significantly. Jasper snarled at me for upsetting her, but something else she said caught my attention.

"What do you mean Bella's basically gone?" I demanded, eying her suspiciously. She just stared at me, her face dark and her eyes oddly bright.

"She won't be the same." Said Alice cryptically, earning her a frustrated snarl.

"Wait until she wakes up." she snapped, moving to Jasper. "And stay here." She added, her voice much softer.

"Yeah." I grumbled, earning me a small sigh of relief from both her and Esme. Esme's sigh hardened my resolve to stay where I was, no matter how many urges I had to chase after my dumbass brother and tear his ungrateful head off.

"Thank you." Murmured Esme, kissing Bella goodnight as she and Carlisle left the room, coming downstairs together. Rosalie whispered inaudibly to the unconscious human and took her time coming down the stairs, only speeding up when she saw me sitting angrily. She marched over and hugged me, earning her a small sigh and a big hug back.

That night was quiet, and we all waited together as the sun rose again, bringing in the new day.

**A/N: So there's Emmett. I hope you liked him as much as I did... It's been far too long since we've heard from our Cullen brothers.**

**Review please!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 18**

Down

**A/N: Alright guys! Excellent news on the DITR stories... PART 3 IS COMPLETE! Yes, I've spent my entire weekend finishing off all 31 chapters of this story, and let me tell you... it took FOREVER!**

**So, for those of you who followed Parts 1 and 2, you know what that means. I'll update daily (sometimes more than once per day!) just as long as I get decent feedback. I'm not "holding chapters hostage", as some would say, but merely requesting some opinions. I like to know how people are liking (or disliking) the story as it progresses, so I can go and make adjustments to future chapters if need be.**

**So, now, we begin the angst parade.... yes, that's why it's labelled as "angst". You've been warned. **

**Review please!**

BPOV

It was two days into Edward's absence. Two days since he left me in the forest, two days since I chased him down, and two days since I mysteriously woke up in my bed instead of the forest as I'd anticipated. Two days of darkness and isolation- two days of absolute hell.

Where was he?

Now, I sat on my floor, my thick blanket covering my shaking body as I curled into the wall, refusing to get on the bed where Edward had watched me sleep so many times before. Everywhere I looked I saw something that reminded me of him, but the bed was overkill. Tears pooled in my eyes once again as I remembered the face that would stare at me as I slept, always gentle and curious. Never had I dreamed that he could be so cruel. Were humans really that bad? What did the rest of my family think of me, if that's how Edward felt? Dad always valued Edward's opinions…

The tears fell over as I wrapped my blanket more firmly around me. I pressed my face into the soft covers, not wanting to see the room Edward had chosen for me- the one next to his own.

The one he'd never use again until I was dead.

More tears fell.

I missed him, and it hurt-

A quiet, but firm knock sounded through the room, and I ignored it. This wasn't the first time someone had knocked, and I knew it wouldn't be the last, but the door was locked, so they were stuck on the outside while I wallowed on the inside.

"Bella?" called dad, sounding quietly distraught. I refused to react as I laid down on my floor, my chest pressing against the cool wood.

"Open the door Bella." said Rose sternly, sounding more worried than angry. She got snappy when she was worried, but for the first time in almost ten years, I didn't care what Rose thought of me.

I didn't respond.

"Sweetheart, this isn't healthy." Came dad's firm, usually comforting voice. Healthy? Why should I be healthy when I wanted to be dead?

Dead, or at least asleep.

Someplace where Edward didn't exist.

I heard a sad sigh from my father before someone tried to turn the doorknob, failing miserably. I knew they remembered what happened last time they'd broken my door, but even if I knew I was beyond that, none of them did.

Well, none besides Alice, but who was she to tell them to break my door?

"Honey, you need to eat and have something to drink." Said dad, going into doctor mode. I simply remained on my floor, trying to ignore the burning, throbbing pain where my heart should have been.

Edward would have wanted me healthy too.

More tears fell to the wooden floor.

Had I really had nothing to eat or drink in two days? Huh. That's news to me, but somehow, I wasn't hungry at all. In fact, I felt quite sick.

"Bella!" cried Rosalie, beyond worried by my unresponsiveness. I knew they could smell my salty tears, but I didn't care.

I felt a small wave of relaxation and peace flowing through the closed door, and I let out a small wail of despair as I fought it off.

When the sound was heard, Jasper stopped his calming and Rose panicked again.

"I'm coming in there." she warned, trying the doorknob again. As expected, nothing changed, and no one came into my dark dungeon.

"Alice?" said dad's soft voice, conversing with my pixie instead. I heard a low, rumbling exchange between the two of them, and before long, something was scratching at my door, picking the lock.

Within mere moments, the door swung open, sending a stream of light into my room- almost blinding me. I could see two days worth of dust swirling mystically in the light, right before dad's form blocked some of the light and he came inside, turning my lamp on.

"Oh sweetheart." He said sadly, catching sight of me on the floor. Although I was at the other end of the room, he was beside me in a millisecond, his cold, gentle hand resting on my blanket-clad shoulder.

"Sweetie, come here." He said softly, sounding more upset than he looked. Dad was good at keeping an indifferent face, but his voice always betrayed him in times of stress.

I didn't respond.

"Bella, come on." He said, trying to lift me from my place on the floor. Unable to verbally protest, I merely tensed up, refusing to sit myself up.

I liked my floor. It comforted me.

"Bella." Scolded Rose's wavering voice from behind me, startling me a bit. I jumped in shock and she frowned, simply coming closer. I saw the rest of my family by the door, all four pairs of feet standing as still as statues. I felt dad stealing my blanket away, making me shiver as he frowned and lifted me to a sitting position once again, resting me against my oldest sister for support.

"Sweetheart, I think you have a fever." He said softly, feeling my cheeks and forehead. Ignoring that, I simply reached for my blanket, frustrated when he refused to give it back. I slowly pried myself off of Rose and laid back down on my floor, not moving.

"Bella." Said Alice softly, coming forward. She was significantly less bouncy, and even her trademark spiky hair seemed to sag a bit. Dad stood wordlessly and murmured softly to mom, who nodded and left the room with him. Rose and Alice simply stared at me on the floor, but I didn't care.

There was only one person I wanted to see, and he definitely wasn't a parent, brother or sister.

He was my best friend.

Suddenly, I felt like the little six-year old girl again, and I could distinctly remember the first time I'd decided he held the post of best friend.

A small shudder rolled through me as the tears increased, earning a worried frown from my empathic brother.

"Bella." Said dad's voice, having returned. Without a word, he moved my sisters out of his way and stuck a thermometer in my protesting mouth while he shone his penlight in my eyes. The light was too bright, and I instantly flinched away, making him sigh. The thermometer beeped and dad snatched it away quickly, reading the numbers.

"You have a fever." He confirmed, making me sniff indifferently. I felt cold, not hot.

I wanted my blanket back.

"You need fluids and something in your stomach." He decreed, glancing at mom. Mom, who I hadn't even noticed coming back, held a package of soda crackers and a tall glass of water in her hands.

"Here dear." She said softly, sitting in front of me with the food. She placed it on my floor and watched me expectantly, but my stomach churned at the mere thought of food, and I sat still.

"Eat please." Said dad softly, taking out a cracker for me. Patient as ever, he held it in front of me like you would to a dog, and I simply refused, as a stubborn dog would.

Maybe I should have been born a dog, then I wouldn't have to grieve over Edward.

Still refusing the nauseating cracker, I simply turned my head and pressed my face into the floor. Dad wasn't having that, and without a second thought, he reached over and sat me against him, wrapping an arm around my torso to prevent my escape. With more tears, I turned my head away from his food, trying to get away. I didn't want to be sick.

"Bella please?" he asked softly, putting down the cracker as he felt my forehead again. I shivered against his cold body, wanting out, but he didn't seem to care about my comfort. He just wanted me to eat that damn cracker.

"Bella eat it." Snapped Rose, beyond worried. I flinched away from her harsh tone and dad shot her a warning glance, forcing Emmett to step in and pull her back before she literally shoved that cracker in my mouth for me. She'd probably eat it for me if it would help.

"You'll feel better when you eat." Coaxed dad. I almost laughed, knowing that no cracker eating on my part would bring Edward back. That cracker was just an innocent morsel of food that they expected me to eat. Definitely not Edward.

"Bella, honey…" said mom, hesitant, sad and soft. Dad simply glanced at her as she came over, moving the crackers and water aside for a moment so she could kneel in front of me. Slowly, she wiped a tear off of my cheek and frowned, examining my face closely. Unable to meet her sad gaze, I simply focused on a knot in the wood on my floor, settling for hearing the sad voice instead.

"Will you please try it?" she asked, almost convincing me to take it. I never wanted to upset mom, but eating that cracker was out of the question. If I ate it, I would be sick. If I was sick, dad would bring me to the hospital. If I went to the hospital, I'd need to leave my room, and then they wouldn't let me back in when we got home.

No, I wouldn't eat it.

"Then have a drink." She said, softly touching the rim of the glass. I stared intently at my knot, more tears falling. I saw Emmett shuffling worriedly in the background as mom offered me the glass. I clamped my lips shut, shuddering violently at the thought of drinking that. My stomach clenched with the mere thought, and there was no way I was eating anything.

Maybe if I died, then Edward could come back sooner.

But I was too much of a chicken to die. I'd go halfway before I freaked out and called dad to fix me up again. Yes, I admit it. I was a coward. Just as these abhorrent thoughts ran through my head, I saw Alice's eyes glaze over into a vision of the future.

Crap.

When she snapped back, she threw a tortured gaze my way, shaking her head minutely. I had no idea what she saw, but I knew she didn't like it if she stared at me like that. Without hesitation, she came beside me, boxing me in the middle of her and my parents. She leaned down and whispered gently in my ear, loud enough for mom and dad to hear as well.

"Don't you dare." She said, her voice tortured.

"Don't what?" asked dad worriedly, looking down at me. Hesitating for a moment, Alice merely shook her head, not responding to her cryptic statement. Dad, trusting Alice's judgement, merely let it go as he brushed more hair out of my eyes. Realizing his defeat, he sighed, scooping me up off of the floor to bring me to my bed. I gasped shortly, not wanting to go there, and he noticed.

"No bed?" he asked, making me shake as I grabbed his shirt, wanting to go back on the floor. It would seem he knew what I wanted as he carried me back to the same spot as before, handing me my blanket as he placed me on the floor, asking mom for a pillow. Mom handed me a thick, fluffy pillow and I was silently thankful for the added padding.

"I love you." She whispered, kissing my cheek softly as she'd done so many times before when I was little. Rosalie, worried and quite angry with her brother, came and mimicked the action before the entire group left me alone, just like I'd wanted in the first place.

**A/N: So there we have Bella in her depressed, sick state. **

**Before you all ask: NO, she is NOT suicidal. It was an errant thought that crossed her mind, but she even said she was too scared to do it. She will NOT try and kill herself, nor will there be any more mentions of it.**

**Yes, she actually is sick from being out in the rain, but the sadness is adding to her lack of appetite as well.**

**Reviews please!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 19**

Battle

**A/N: Another chapter today, as promised... **

**Here we have three POVs- Carlisle, Edward and Alice.... I hope you enjoy hearing from different family members. Tomorrow's chapter is quite long, so get ready for that!**

**Review please!**

CPOV

One week ago, I never would have imagined a change of this magnitude imposing itself on my family. One week ago, we were all happy- all of us were together. We were all leisurely, all quite at ease with our lives, but now, things had gone to the dogs.

Today marked the five day mark since Edward had made his impromptu departure from our family, and five days since he broke my daughter's heart in the forest. I always knew my eldest son was headstrong and impulsive, but I'd never imagined he'd leave so quickly, without even a proper goodbye to his mother. I couldn't even fathom what he'd said to induce such a violent change in Bella, and I didn't think I wanted to know what falsehoods he'd planted in her mind. Although I loved all my children, Edward included, I couldn't help but feel quite miffed at him at the moment for not handling things a bit better.

Despite Esme's, Rosalie's, Alice's and my own pleadings, Bella was still locked away in her bedroom, wallowing in her own pit of misery. Although my medical side was screaming for intervention, it was battling with my paternal side, which told me she just needed time. How was a physician supposed to be both father and doctor to his daughter? It was impossible. The physician in me was telling me to force feed her- to force the water and crackers down her throat, but my paternal side was putting up a valiant fight against such tactics, knowing how it would hurt her. My daughter was wasting away, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

Now, I sat on the sofa in my office, continuing the debate I'd started with myself three days ago, when Bella first refused the nourishment. I'd tried to be as kind as the situation would allow, but somehow, the internal battle prevailed instead of one rational side. My primary instinct had been to scoop her up and calm her down- force those abhorrent tears to abate and coddle her until she cheered up, but then the harsher physician's side reared its ugly head. That side had wanted me to force an intravenous line into her arm and hook up a saline drip to get her rehydrated, and after she was decently healthy again, force her to a shrink to spill her problems.

But which side was right?

I made a point of going in to check on Bella as many times as I could in one day, but I knew it would soon start to annoy her. Every time I went in, I insisted on checking her temperature and pulse, which were both rising gradually, and each time I saw her I tried to get some food into her frail body. Being human made her fragile enough as it was, and she didn't need lack of nourishment getting to her as well. That would only weaken her and send her to the hospital- the one place I wanted to avoid. I knew it wouldn't do her mental stability any favours to shove her into a hospital bed, but I was willing to go there, if the need came. If need be, I would personally hold her down for the saline and vitamins, just as long as my girl was healthy again. We could deal with the repercussions afterwards.

But I didn't want her to be unhappy.

The internal battle was ongoing, and quite irksome, if I did say so myself. I secretly wished that a magic solution would simply appear before me, even if I knew how absurd that was. I was over three centuries old, and if I'd learned anything during my long existence, it was that you had to make choices for yourself, and accept the consequences afterwards. My choices were simple: I could either let Bella wait it out, and perhaps make her sicker than she already was with hunger, or I could force feed her and send her to the hospital if need be, with the risk of scaring her and abolishing her trust in me.

I couldn't choose, and I knew of only one solution that would help me decide.

I called a family meeting.

* * *

EPOV

The heat was startling.

Compared to Forks and Alaska, Rio De Janeiro was a place of warmth, sunlight and quite frankly, change.

I was running through the wilderness, tracking as many animals as I could. Tamarins, wildcats, snakes and other wild beasts were the focus of my much-needed hunt. I'd been away from my family for five days, and already, I was starting to miss them. Five days was no time at all for my kind, but five days in complete isolation can take its toll on someone. The last time I'd been so frantically disjointed from my family was during what Carlisle deemed my "rebellious period", when I went off the deep end and murdered countless humans of the grisliest kind.

The snake hissed in front of me, it's large fangs poised to strike. I watched, amused, as its head darted out, causing the fangs to strike my rock-hard leg. It drew back with an angry hiss, most likely of pain, and tried again, but not before I snatched it up and bit down, tasting the exotic blood.

Different, but pleasurable nonetheless.

As I tossed the dead snake carcass under a large tropical tree, I sighed, remembering the vision Alice had accidently let slip in that dress shop.

I was going to marry Bella?

I'd always known Bella was special to me- definitely not a sister as Alice and Rosalie were. Alice and Rose were my family, I knew that without a doubt, but Bella was something different-- something more. She wasn't a sister, but more of a friend. A close comrade that I took pleasure in associating with.

But she was human.

She was a precious human, a fragile human, and that would not be undone by my selfishness. I wouldn't take her soul, with its purity that rivalled angels, just to make her my own for all time. She deserved a life- not a mere pointless existence. She needed a life with children, humans, friends, husbands and ultimately, death. It would be a crushing blow to my family when Bella passed on, but I would gladly give her that release instead of forcing her into a life of immortality. Humans didn't know what they were getting into with this strange life, and I knew Bella was just as clueless as the others. She would _think _she wanted this, but after a few centuries, she might regret her choice.

And I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let her live a life of regret and spite, just because I was supposed to marry her.

Alice was wrong. Bella would _never _be my wife. I was a monster- something that killed and massacred. My very existence was geared to the consumption of blood. Just because I denied my primal instincts didn't make me any better than any of the truly murderous beasts in this world…

But wasn't there a Jewish scripture that said that if a wicked man marries a pious woman, then he too becomes pious? Too bad I wasn't Jewish…

_Stop it Edward, _I thought to myself. No matter how good Bella was, she could never undo the blasphemous, disgusting deeds I'd already carried out. Her goodness would never rub off on me. She could work her heavenly magic on a poor human soul that needed redemption. I had no soul to speak of.

I shook my head quickly, attempting to dislodge those manic thoughts from my head, right as the small silver phone in my pocket rang shrilly, scaring a flock of birds in a nearby tree. I pulled it out of my pocket and sighed, seeing Alice's number flashing on the screen.

I put it back in my pocket, just as I started running again.

* * *

APOV

The entire family, minus Bella and Edward, was seated at the dining room table, with Carlisle at the head. Carlisle had just finished explaining his predicament to us, and I had to say, it was a tough choice to make.

"Carlisle…" said Esme, seeing her husband's internal struggle with himself. Shooting her a fleeting smile he sighed, hugging her gently.

"I don't know what to do with her." He admitted softly, earning a small nod from the rest of the family. Jasper was deep in thought at my side, his brow furrowed. Rosalie stared at Carlisle sadly, unsure how to react to his problem, since she was having the same one. Love versus necessity.

"Jasper?" asked Carlisle, turning to my husband. Jasper sighed, slowly coming out of his musings to glance at his father and leader, nodding to himself.

"I say we wait a few more hours and try to get her to eat." He said decisively. I nodded, agreeing with that as I remembered the startling vision of Bella with a knife in her hands. That vision had spooked me into action, and after that, no more had come. I wouldn't let that vision carry itself out, even if the knife was to be replaced by starvation. She wouldn't die under my watch.

"Esme?" asked Carlisle, turning to his wife. Esme nodded and glanced at Jasper, quietly agreeing with my husband as well.

"She needs to eat." Said Rose worriedly. Rosalie and Carlisle had always been the dietary enforcers in Bella's life, with Carlisle designating foods from all four food groups and Rosalie spending countless hours poring over books and the internet for good meal suggestions. Rosalie didn't like Bella eating anything unhealthy, but right now, it looked as if Rose would let her eat an entire storeroom of McDonald's food, just as long as she ate _something._

"Why isn't she eating in the first place?" demanded Emmett, obviously not knowing why someone would intentionally starve themselves.

"She's upset." Said Jasper with a shrug. "She doesn't even think she's hungry, but she is." He added softly. Emmett just sighed and glanced at Carlisle, nodding gently.

"Wait and then take her in." he suggested wisely, making Carlisle nod. He glanced at the table and sighed loudly, running a hand through his hair. This was one of the days where he looked older than his twenty three physical years.

"Alright." He agreed, nodding to us all. I sighed and looked at my empathic husband, who had yet to try his hand at feeding her.

"Your turn." I said grimly, earning me a small grimace as Jasper stood diligently, turning towards the staircase where Bella waited.

**A/N: So the next chapter is another rather dramatic one...**

**Review please!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 20**

Hospital

**A/N: Ok, so I've been getting A LOT of reviews lately, which is a good thing! Keep it up, and the chapters will be up whenever I get a free moment.**

**There were some questions asked recently and instead of answering them individually, I thought it best to just answer them here instead, since they were pretty repetitive. They were all about who managed to weasel their way into my plot...**

**So, sorry to those who wanted them, but there will be NO Jacob, no Volturi and no James in this story. I found it kind of ridiculous that the Cullens would let Bella traipse off to La Push without a second thought, knowing about the wolves, and there's no Charlie to befriend Billy. As for James, he's always irritated me and I didn't want to drag him in again. The Volturi would just add more unneeded drama, and I want to focus more on the family bonding rather than the angry vampire royalty. **

**The villains who WILL be included (whether in this part, or in part 4 is still a mystery to you), are Victoria and Maria.**

**Hopefully that clears things up!**

**Review please!**

BPOV

I'd lost count of how many days I'd been in my room now, but I knew it was close to a week, give or take a few days. I still refused the crackers dad tried to coax me into eating, and I decided that I wasn't hungry. I'd taken a few sips of water to please him, but that was it. I wasn't thirsty, I wasn't hungry, I wasn't motivated and I wanted to stay on this floor forever.

I could distinctly remember what Edward had said to me before he ran off, especially when he told me he was tired of his human charade. If he was tired of it, dad must be close to his breaking point. Edward was only around 100 years old, but dad had been around since the 1600s. I knew it was only a matter of time before dad left, and then mom would go with him, since she loved him. Rose would go in a few years too, and then Emmett would go with her. Jasper already knew what it was like to dump the human charade, so I was shocked that he wasn't already missing his old life, and I knew that once he left, Alice wouldn't be able to resist following, even if she loved me. Edward was right- my family wasn't human, and I was one of the only reasons they pretended to be in the first place.

Slowly, I heard my door creak open, and a thin crack of light spilled inside. Dad was back.

"Bella?" said a soft, comforting voice. I was shocked to hear that the voice didn't belong to dad, but to Jasper, the one person I hadn't spoken to in days. It saddened me to hear the hesitation and slight worry in his tone, knowing how calm and sure Jasper always was.

Without a word from me, he came inside, simply closing the door behind him as he moved over to me, sitting beside me. I risked a small glance at him and I saw his golden eyes glued to me as he rested elbows on his crossed legs, his head resting on his fists. The golden hair was falling into his eyes, matching almost perfectly as his pale body remained motionless and quite stiff. Without effort, I felt him release a wave of calm and happiness on me, which combated strangely with the overwhelming sadness that had been consuming me these past few days.

"Come here darlin'." He said, his drawl more pronounced than usual. With another wave of serenity and calm, I somehow forced myself off of the floor and into a sitting position, feeling lightheaded and weaker than I thought I was.

"That's it." He soothed, gently reaching out a pale hand to grasp my own. I felt his cold skin as soon as it came within an inch of my hand, and I realized then that I felt very warm, not cold as I'd thought. Tossing the blanket aside, I scooted forward, earning me a small, encouraging smile from my brother. As soon as he had a good grip on my emotions, he reached out and pulled me into an all too familiar hug, his empathic powers strengthened by his touch. I felt hot tears sliding down as I remembered Edward's embraces, and as the physical pain I was in finally caught up with me. The headache that had been brewing was suddenly blooming horribly, and the pain in my stomach was worse than I'd thought. The lightheadedness amplified, and I realized that my sadness had been covering it all up.

Boy, did I want that sadness back now.

Jasper sensed my discomfort as he patted my hair, trying to relieve some of the pain. The most he could do was relieve some of the panic that came with the pain, but the actual physical discomfort still persisted.

"Bella?" he asked me softly, looking down. I realized then, when I smelled his honey-like scent, that I must have smelled awful, but Jasper never complained.

"Will you try and eat something?" he asked softly, earning a small frown. I would be sick if I tried… I knew that.

Instead of shaking my head, I shrugged, earning me a small sigh. Trying to repress the throbbing headache, I pressed my face into his chest, feeling his cold skin against my face, even though his shirt. Without hesitation, he scooped me up gently and placed me on his lap, making this embrace much easier and less awkward. He leaned back against my wall, somewhat reclined as I let my weak arms squeeze him as tightly as I possibly could without bruising myself.

"Please sweetheart?" he asked, making me frown. "Everyone's worried about you." Guilt wormed its way into my already overloaded system and he frowned, easing it quickly.

"Don't feel guilty." He admonished, earning him a small sniff.

"Just some crackers and water?" he asked softly, his voice convincing and almost melodic. Feeling my resolve cracking, I simply nodded slightly, earning me a small, affectionate squeeze.

"Esme?" he called in a normal voice, and moments later, mom came in, my father behind her, with a package of crackers and a chilled bottle of water in her hands. She looked overjoyed to see me hugging Jasper and agreeing to food, so when she opened the crackers and handed me one, I pushed down the sudden nausea and forced it into my mouth.

The cracker didn't taste good at all, rather like salty dust, and despite my stomach's protests, I forced myself to swallow it with a small sip of water. My already sore stomach flared angrily with the cracker's invasion, and before I could even contemplate being sick, I shoved another one into my mouth, desperate to distract myself. It took an obscenely long time to chew it, and when I swallowed, mom coaxed me into drinking another mouthful of water. Jasper patted my back as I coughed and dad watched, grimly triumphant as I forced down another mouthful of water, feeling my stomach churning.

Before anyone could so much as smile at my success, I bounded off of Jasper with incredible speed and found my way to the porcelain bowl in my bathroom. The cracker and water both made a rather violent reappearance, and I saw dad dash in, worried and unhappy.

"You're ok." He said softly as he patted my back, holding my hair back as I heaved again, feeling my body rejecting the food I'd forced into it. I could hear him whispering in my ear, trying to staunch the onslaught of tears that came with my disgust, and when I was done, he flushed the toilet and felt my head again.

"That's it." He said softly, sounding decided and quite stubborn. Without a second thought, he scooped me up bridal-style, holding me firmly as my head lolled against his stony chest and walked out of my bathroom, right into the bedroom, where my family waited. Rose watched with wide, panicking eyes as dad marched past her and down the stairs, asking someone to grab my blanket on the way out. Rose came with it, wrapping me up gently as dad carried me out to the car.

I wanted to know where we were going, but my mouth and brain seemed disconnected.

"We're going to the hospital." Said dad softly, earning a small whimper of fear from me. I hated hospitals.

"You're dehydrated, and if you can't keep anything down, they'll give you an IV." He said softly, placing me in the back of the Mercedes, as mom sat beside me.

"I love you sweetheart." Said mom sadly, just as dad started the car. Rose hopped into her own car beside us, letting Emmett drive, and her small frown was the last thing I saw before dad sped off through the trees.

* * *

RPOV

Carlisle sped off down the driveway, and I shoved Emmett into the front seat of my BMW, sitting myself in the passenger's seat. Emmett eyed me worriedly as Alice and Jasper piled into the back, Jasper grimly triumphant that his gift had coaxed Bella into cooperation.

"Go." I snapped impatiently, making my husband nod as he tore off after Carlisle, breaking every rule of the road ever written. Without hesitation, I whipped out my phone and angrily dialled Dick-ward's cell phone, determined to speak with that asshole.

One ring.

"Rose?" asked Emmett. I held up a finger, silencing him. Alice watched me with wide eyes before she slipped off into a vision, no doubt outlining what I was about to say.

Two rings.

_Pick up damn you._

Three rings.

"Calm down Rose." Said Jasper softly, reaching out to pat my hand. I swatted him away, and growled loudly as the voicemail picked up.

"_Hello, you've reached Edward's phone. I'm unable to take you call right now, so please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible" _came Edward's recorded voice. A loud beep was heard and I let out a grisly snarl.

"Listen here dick-face." I snarled into the receiver. I saw Emmett smirk slightly, knowing this wouldn't be pretty. Alice and Jasper both kept silent as I ranted into the phone.

"You'd best drag your sorry ass back here before I come and get it myself, and let me tell you, that won't be something you want to see. I have no idea what the fuck you said to her, but let me tell you something: if you don't come here and fix it, I'll make sure I find you and send you to Volterra myself you ignorant, self-centered douche bag. Now I'll call you back in an hour, and you'd better pick up the damn telephone. I swear to God if she's not ok you'll wish--" I was cut off as the message went over the allotted time.

"Fuck you." I snarled, tossing my phone to the floor. Emmett simply sighed as we pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, where Carlisle was bent over, scooping up Bella from the backseat of his car.

* * *

BPOV

We pulled into the hospital parking lot, and dad reached over to pick me up, taking me from mom. I wanted to protest, but I was weak and tired- not in any position to fight him on this. He held me gingerly as he walked towards the sliding glass doors, walking through with mom hot on his heels. Mom watched me with her sad, caring eyes, and I felt awful for making her sad like that. I didn't mean to make her feel bad.

"Can we get an saline drip please?" asked dad sweetly, smiling at the stunned nurse. Mom, always the gentle one, didn't seem to mind that a strange woman was mentally undressing her husband, but the woman listened to dad, calling Dr. Gerandy to the front desk.

An old man came out and met dad, his eyes going wide. I guess they didn't get too many cases like this in Forks.

"Carlisle." He greeted, hobbling over to see me. "What happened here?" he asked.

"She's dehydrated." Said dad simply, earning another nod from the old doctor. I wanted to protest when a nurse came with a stretcher, but when dad put me down and the tears came, no words came out.

"We'll take her from here." Said the old man, ordering the nurse to wheel me away from dad.

"We'll see you soon." Whispered dad as I was taken away, into a back room where the nurses smiled gently at me.

"Alright, sweetie, can you hear me?" she asked, earning her a small tear filled nod.

"That's good." She soothed gently, her voice nowhere near as calming as Jasper's. I saw the doctor take my arm as he wrapped a tourniquet around it, making me panic.

"Just relax." He said softly, poking my hand for a decent vein. He found one quickly and before long, I felt the long needle sliding into my hand, earning a small wail of protest. He shushed me gently and taped it up, ordering the saline drip dad had wanted.

"Are you feeling sick at all?" asked the nurse, enticing no answer from me. I didn't want to answer.

Edward wouldn't have let them poke me with that damn needle.

More tears fell and the nurse just nodded, writing things down on a clipboard. I felt someone place a blood pressure cuff on my arm and once that was done, the nurse came with a gown.

"You'll be here overnight, and then you can go home." She said softly. "We'll put this on, and then bring you upstairs where your parents are waiting."

I didn't want that gown, I didn't want this needle, and I didn't want to go upstairs.

I wanted to go home.

A few embarrassing moments later, I was dressed in the thin gown and a thermal blanket was laid on my legs, the IV bag was attached to the stretcher, and without further ado, I was wheeled into an elevator.

Once we finally hit the floor we were looking for, I was wheeled into a bedroom and once again placed in a normal bed. I wanted to sit on the floor again, but I didn't think the nurse would let me, especially when my IV pole was brought in and placed next to the bed. Seeing her kind smile, she promised to go and get mom and dad for me. When she left, I turned and forced my face into the pillow, resisting the urge to rip the IV out of my hand.

I hated it here, and I wanted out.

All too soon, mom and dad came in, Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Rose right behind them as they all took seats around me. Dad came around to face me, since my back was to the door, and when he knelt down, I pressed my face even further into the pillow. I didn't care if I was being childish; I didn't want to talk to him, or even look at him.

He had done this to me. He had forced them to jab me with the needle, and he'd been the one to bring me here.

"I love you." He whispered, kissing my filthy hair. With those three small words, my anger and betrayal dulled significantly, my rational side screaming that this was my own fault. I was the one who didn't eat, and I was the one who'd thrown up, not dad.

"Rest, and we'll be home in no time." He soothed, pulling a chair over to sit closer to me as I closed my eyes, and succumbed to the exhaustion that was threatening to take over.

ooOoo

I woke to the sound of someone calling my name, but it wasn't a voice I recognized.

"Miss Swan." Said the voice of Dr. Gerandy, the elderly doctor who'd stuck me with needles. Slowly, I opened my eyes and stared at the old, wrinkled face, blinking the sleep out of my eyes.

"Ah, good. You're awake." He said in a business-like tone, earning him a blank stare. _Of course I was awake… you just woke me up._ Seeing my eyes focused on him, he simply bristled uncomfortably, glancing at his chart.

"Can you tell me how you're feeling?" he asked. Without answering him, I glanced around the room and noticed that only dad was still in here, and I didn't want to speak to this strange doctor. Without a word to Dr. Gerandy, I turned away from both him and dad, pressing my face into the pillow.

"Bella." Scolded dad gently, touching my back. "The faster we get this done, the faster you can go home." He said. My nausea and headache were already virtually nonexistent, so why couldn't I go home now? Granted, the hole Edward had made was still as sore and raw as ever, but no amount of medication or doctors could fix that.

Unless it was the younger Dr. Cullen.

"Isabella, if you don't want to speak to me, might I suggest speaking to someone else?" he asked, earning a small sigh from dad. When I didn't answer, dad just nodded gently, looking very sorry indeed as Dr. Gerandy hobbled out of the room, muttering to himself.

"Bella, this is for the best." Said dad softly, making me frown as I avoided his touch. He retracted, looking hurt, but didn't reach out again in case I decided to freak out.

Yeah right.

We waited in an uncomfortable silence as the tears pooled once again, the silence allowing me to remember all the things I wanted to forget. I knew it wasn't dad's fault, but he was there, and I needed someone to be angry at, since the one I was really angry at was missing in action.

"I love you." Said dad again, his voice almost too soft for me to hear.

I knew that, and it only made me guiltier, knowing how badly I was treating him.

I love you too, dad.

"Here we are." Came Dr. Gerandy's voice from the doorway. I didn't glance up, not wanting to see that old, ugly face. I heard the distinct click of high heels as they approached, and I knew someone else was here, since that old doctor didn't wear shoes like that.

"Hello Isabella." Came a smooth, feminine voice from the end of my bed. Frowning, I looked up and saw a woman standing there, her light hair smoothed back from her face in a professional bun. In one hand, she held a clipboard and some paperwork, and in the other, she held a briefcase. I would have mistaken her for a lawyer, if she wasn't standing at the edge of my hospital bed.

"I'm Dr. Sheen and I--" she started, right before I saw red.

She was a shrink.

I did not need a fucking _shrink._

Turning to dad, I glared angrily, making him frown worriedly as he reached out to me.

"I do not need a _shrink!"_ I shrieked, loud enough for the entire hospital to hear me. Startled, Dr. Gerandy and Dr. Sheen jumped, both eying me worriedly. Dad just sighed as he moved closer, looking quite upset.

"Bella, don't yell." He scolded gently, trying to keep me under control. I'd had enough.

"I'm not crazy!" I hollered, sitting up in my bed. Glad that I had a robe to cover the backless gown I had on, I leapt up out of the bed, wild-eyed and frankly, pissed off.

"Bella, I know that." Said dad, standing gently. He reached out to me and I flew back, not wanting him anywhere near me. How could he go behind my back and try to get me a goddamn _shrink? _I was _not _crazy. I was sad… sad that Edward was gone and sad that my best friend basically hated me. I was sad that my long time childhood crush had stamped all over my heart without a second thought, but I was not crazy.

"No!" I shrieked, trying to leave the room. I felt a sharp, tugging pain in my hand when I forgot about the IV, and I was ready to tear it right out before Dr. Gerandy moved as quickly as he could, grabbing my hand.

"Now, let's don't be hasty." He said. I flung my hand out of his grasp, narrowly missing his face as he jumped back and Dr. Sheen stood up, looking quite worried for my mental health.

"Now, Isabella, we can talk about this--" she started, right before my rage got the better of me.

"Fuck you lady!" I cried, using language I never would have used before. Dad was momentarily stunned into silence, and the shrink too this as her opportunity to analyze me.

"Why are you angry with us?" she asked, looking at me carefully. Breathing heavily, I let out an angry cry as tears poured and I turned to dad, more betrayed than ever before. He frowned and looked down, moving towards me guiltily.

"Come here, sweetheart." He said softly, approaching me. He came and pulled me into a hug, but I was angry; I was disgusted, I was sad, and most of all, I felt betrayed.

"No!" I cried, trying to shove him off of me. I could see his sadness rising, even if he tried to mask it as I thrashed painfully against his grip, wanting him to let me go.

"Bella, relax." He soothed, trying his hardest.

"_NO!" _I shrieked, tears pouring down my face as the sobs threatened to break through. The doctors all stood, rather dumbstruck as I squirmed against dad's grip, wanting him to let me go and never touch me again.

"Alice." Said dad suddenly, turning towards the doorway. There stood my pixie sister, eying me with her wide, sad eyes as she advanced, allowing dad to hand me over. I heard dad dismissing the shrink rather hastily as Alice hugged me and moved us away from the others.

"Shh." She said softly, trying to stop the sobs that had broken through.

"I'm not crazy, Alice." I choked out, earning me a quick nod.

"Of course you're not. She just wanted to help." She soothed gently.

"He thinks I'm crazy." I accused, referring to my father, who was watching this interaction guiltily.

"Dad wanted to help." Said Alice firmly. "He doesn't think you're crazy."

I just cried.

"I'll take that out." Said dad, glancing at my IV, which had been tugged and pulled one too many times. It hurt now, but I couldn't bring myself to care as Alice ensured I was safe, completely encased in her stony arms. I felt dad sliding the offensive needle out of my hand as he applied pressure, then placed a Band-Aid over the small mark.

"Shh." Said Alice again as the tears came without consent, shaking my whole body with debilitating sobs.

"I miss him." I whispered softly, making Alice nod gently as dad sighed.

"I know you do." She said, running a hand through my hair. "I really do."

**A/N: Bella's OOC, but you would be too if that happened to you... don't hate Carlisle; he thought it was for the best. He's been a doctor MUCH longer than he's been a father, and technically, he's still learning. Bella's attitude has changed as well...**

**I much prefer angry Bella to sulky Bella.**

**Review please!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 21**

Memoirs

**A/N: So, here's chapter 21 of part 3... I hope you enjoy it!**

**BTW, check out the bottom note for another "challenge" like we had in parts 1 and 2 for Charlie, as well as Jenna, Ashley and Hannah. It's Edward's turn now...**

**Review please!**

BPOV.

Depression.

After my major freak-out in the hospital, the shrink- who apparently wasn't finished with me even after I swore at her- had diagnosed me with clinical depression brought on by the abrupt departure of my "brother". The story around town was that Edward had located his birth parents and that he wanted to get to know them, so he was going to stay with them for an undeterminable amount of time. It was a load of bull, but if it kept the good people of Forks from breathing down our necks, then whatever.

After Alice had managed to calm me down and dad had removed the IV from my hand, Alice helped me change into a new pair of pyjamas after taking a shower in the hospital facilities, and I was allowed to leave. We met up with the rest of my family in the waiting room, and all of them noticed my red eyes and stuffy nose, but no one commented on my little outburst, especially not dad. He kept quieter than anyone else, looking deep in thought as he walked ahead of us and opened the door for me and mom, like he always did. When we'd driven home, I went up to my room, where mom managed to gently coax me under the covers on my bed instead of the floor. Clean, tired and worn out, I'd gone to sleep for a nap, only to wake up and have some food forced down my throat by Rosalie.

Now, it was Sunday afternoon, and I'd already spent all morning wallowing in my bed. Tomorrow was a school day, and even if mom had made it quite clear that I didn't have to go back right away, I decided that I needed the distraction. Almost instantly, I got out of bed and moved to my closet, where I grabbed the first outfit I laid eyes on, not caring if it matched. Alice would be unhappy if it didn't, but she'd get over it.

Grooming myself was another task I felt obliged to do, and without thinking, I took my brush and pulled it through every knot on my head. I knew it should have hurt, but I went through the process in a confused haze, just like everything else I'd done lately.

I was like a robot. Brush up, touch head, bring down, repeat.

I washed my face much in a similar fashion, as well as brushing my teeth. Makeup was beyond me, and without even glancing in the mirror, I left my bathroom, turning the light off, and walked downstairs.

Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, stumble, fall, repeat.

Without breaking bones or spilling any blood, I managed to make it downstairs, where mom was rummaging for food in the kitchen.

"Good afternoon, dear." She said sadly, eying me.

"Hi." I said shortly, unsure how to phrase my request.

"I want to go back to school." I said bluntly, watching the look of shock cross her face before she quickly masked it with concern.

"Are you sure, honey? The school will be there whenever you're ready to go back, and--" she said, looking at me closely.

"Yes." I said, cutting her off almost rudely. "Sorry." I amended, earning me a small, dismissive wave.

"Well, if you're sure." She said, looking at me carefully. I simply nodded, making her smile as she approached me and kissed my cheek gently.

"I love you." She whispered, leading me further into the kitchen.

"I love you too." I said softly, allowing her to place me on a stool at the counter.

"What will it be?" she asked, looking at me carefully. She turned to the cupboard and took out some cereal- something she knew I'd taken a liking to lately.

"Yes please." I said in a monotone.

"Alright." She said, disregarding my less than enthusiastic tone. She poured me a bowl of cereal, making me feel like an invalid, and presented it to me with a spoon and napkin.

"Thank you." I said quietly, making her smile. I think she was just glad to hear my voice again, after it had been gone for six consecutive days.

"You're quite welcome, dear." She said, resuming her rummage through the cupboards.

Scoop cereal, spoon up, open mouth, insert, chew, swallow, repeat.

When the bowl was finished, I got off of my chair and went to the sink, where mom watched me curiously. Instead of putting it in the dishwasher, I simply started the sink and decided to wash the entire sink full of dishes.

Mom didn't say anything, but I knew she was a little weirded out.

Choose dish, pick up, scrub, rinse, dry, stack, repeat.

When the entire sink was empty and the dishes dry and stacked, I simply removed the plug in the drain and watched as the grime from the dishes disappeared. Once again, mom watched me.

Then I noticed that I'd gotten water on the counter, so I wiped that down too.

"Bella, dear…" started mom, looking hesitant. I looked at her briefly before I continued my methodical cleaning ritual, making her frown.

"You don't have to clean the kitchen." She said softly, making me nod and continue anyways. She just looked away, continuing her cupboard sorting awkwardly, sneaking glances at me every few minutes.

After the counter was clean, I made sure that the dining room table was clean as well before I swept the floor.

Extend broom, sweep back, make pile, repeat.

When the kitchen was virtually spotless, I found myself frowning again.

The cleaning had almost made me forget. I almost forgot that my chest hurt and that Edward was gone.

"Bella." Said mom, looking at me gently. Seeing the all-too-frequent tears pooling, she came forward and kissed my head, looking down at me.

"Why don't you go pick out some clothes for school tomorrow?" she suggested, earning her a small nod and false smile.

The smile didn't fool her as I went up to my bedroom, trying not to kill myself along the way. When I finally reached my door, I opened it, nearly jumping out of my skin when I saw a large figure on my bed, staring right at me.

* * *

EmPOV

I saw her jump when she caught sight of me on her bed, but she quickly caught herself and relaxed, her cheeks flaming red as she moved over to her dresser, pulling out a new pair of pyjamas. I'd been waiting for quite a while for her to return from her sudden cleaning rampage in the kitchen, and after a few hours up here, I was almost ready to run down there and bring her back up myself. I wanted to talk with her, if she'd let me.

She was just too sad.

Without a word, she moved to her bathroom and closed the door, just as I heard the shuffling of clothes as she changed from her day clothes into her pyjamas.

I waited.

A few long minutes later, she reappeared, her face downcast and her eyes glued to the floor. Even though they weren't looking at me, I could still see how sad and lifeless they looked. I found myself remembering how bright and curious they'd looked when she was a kid, and it was depressing to see the immense change.

"Belly?" I asked, watching as her brown eyes flickered to me, oddly bright and teary. That wasn't an uncommon sight as of late though, so it didn't worry me as it would have a few weeks ago. Her tears were growing more and more common nowadays. She glanced at the clock, which read 8:24, and sighed, moving to the side of the bed where I wasn't. Without so much as a word to me, she laid down under her covers and faced away from me, making me frown as I slid under the covers with her.

"You know I love you right?" I asked, breaking the tense silence. Now would be the time I'd usually make some sort of obscene joke, but today, I had none.

"Yeah." She replied softly, her voice muffled by her pillows. "I love you too Em."

"Good to know." I said honestly, having been dreadfully unsure whether or not that was true lately.

"Do you remember the time when you were a kid, and we played tea party?" I asked suddenly, grinning at the memory. Alice had got it into Bella's head to ask me to play princess tea party, and together, we'd dressed up and had "tea". Alice still had those pictures.

"Yeah." She said quietly, her voice gaining a small hint of her old self.

"And Alice took those damn pictures? You know, she still has those for blackmail." I informed her, earning me a small appreciative sigh.

"You'll have to get those back." She said, still facing away. "Alice won't hesitate to use them."

"She's already threatened." I said ominously, remembering the time I'd ruined her high-end designer purse she'd left in the Jeep. She'd flipped her lid and threatened to post those pictures on YouTube and PhotoBucket before I'd ordered her a new one.

A new $800 one, I might add.

"What about the time when Rose freaked on us when I kept you out all night?" I asked, remembering the fit Rose had thrown when I'd kept the little eight year old Bella out all night, playing in the woods. Bella had thought it was the best time of her life, but Rose wasn't so appreciative.

"And we played spies." She said, remembering the time clearly.

"And I hid in a tree." I added.

"And you scared me." She said, slightly miffed. I chuckled appreciatively.

"What about the time when we played civil war. Remember Jasper?" I asked, laughing at the mere memory. She let out a feeble laugh at the memory as well, and the sound was music to my ears.

"He was so mad." She whispered softly, her voice more animated than it had been lately.

"Well, we did mock him with decorated fruit." I said, mocking seriousness as I remembered how we'd used oranges for the Union and apples for the Confederates. Of course, the oranges won, and Jasper was less than pleased with our humorous re-enactment. The apples and oranges had had little faces drawn on them with Sharpies, and Bella had gotten such a kick out of it.

Jasper even had his own apple look-alike, which Bella had artistically created for him.

"That was fun." She admitted, earning her another laugh from me. I sighed and turned to face her, watching as she turned as well, her small, white face peeking out from the pillow.

"Em?" she asked, her eyes brightening again. I frowned and watched her, giving her my full, undivided attention.

"Yeah?" I asked softly, hoping she wouldn't cry.

"I miss him." she said.

Hopes abolished.

The tears fell down softly and hit the pillow, making me frown as I wiped the silvery tracks from her cheeks.

"I know." I said gently. "He's an idiot." I added angrily. She simply stared at me and sighed, scooting a few inches closer. She pressed her face into the pillows and I could smell the increase in salt as I patted her back, glad to have cheered her up for even a moment before this new sadness came on.

"It's ok." I said, not knowing what to say to her. She sniffled loudly and shook her head, her body quivering lightly for a moment.

"You'll be ok." I said softly, kissing her head. She just let out a sigh and shook her head again, earning a small frown from me.

"Yes you will be." I said, vowing to ensure that myself.

"Would you be ok if Rose left you?" she demanded forcefully, successfully rendering me speechless.

No, I most definitely would not. There was no Emmett without the Rosalie.

If that's how she felt, I'd kill Edward myself.

With my bare hands.

"I love you." I said, speaking honestly. She sniffled and nodded sadly, making me sigh as she scooted even closer, pressing her thin, warm body against my own colder one. I patted her back as she buried her face in my chest and forced her tears to abate. Wrapping the blanket around her, I watched in awe as she relaxed and fell asleep against me, breathing through her mouth. She didn't shift around or speak to me as she would have before, but I took the time to admire her in such a serene, genuinely relaxed state of mind, where no worldly worries could plague her.

**A/N: So as promised, here's the challenge:**

**"Edward Cullen is a *insert word(s) of choice here*, and I, *insert penname here*, think that he should *insert scenario of choice here*.**

**Fill in the blanks and send it via review! I'll post my favourite(s) at the beginning of the next chapter.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 22**

Cafeteria

**A/N: NICE CHALLENGE RESPONSES!!!! They were all absolutely hillarious, but here's my top seven, since I couldn't decide between them:**

**"Edward Cullen is a fucktarded noob, and I, Twilighterr, think that he should  
go die in a fire :D"**

**"Edward Cullen is a selfish asshole douchebag who is a ninnymuffins, and I,  
LilyCullen625, think that he should be eaten by a stinky pack of unicorns."**

**"Edward Cullen is a freaken' dickface douche-bag as* poo head, and I,  
elphierockmysocks, think that he should go run around in Rio, find a snake,  
but actually that snake is a vampire snake, so Dick-ward tries to kill it,  
have nothing happen then proceed to the vampire snake kill Dick-ward,Dick-ward  
dies, reforms, runs around like the little fagot he is, then have Jane find  
him, inflict pain on him, the have Alice beat him up and Rosalie kill him,  
burn his body and put it in Bella's food."**

**"Edward Cullen is a fucking douchenozzle and I,venomousgal, think that he  
should be tied to a chair and forced to watch Teletubbies and the Wiggles  
until he goes mad."**

**"Edward Cullen is a *douche bag that has some serious problems*, and I, *I'm  
your Jazz*, think that he should *go jump off a cliff and then locked in a  
room, tied to a chair and have Jacob and the pack strip in front of him!*."**

**"Edward Cullen is a tool,and I Bloodangel78 thinks he should 'Man the Fuck Up'  
and return to face wrath of the family, especially the very hot and over  
protective brothers."**

**"Edward Cullen is a DOUCHE bag sorry ass excuse of a man, who likes to suck  
hairy monkey balls, and I, emilydeari, think that he should be forced to to  
make from start to finish, a thanksgiving dinner and eat the whole thing!"**

**Now, that's some serious Edward-hating.... :P**

**And with that said, please review! **

BPOV

_Running. _

_My feet spurred me forward and my muscles ached. I felt the branches whipping past, hitting my face, body, arms and legs like little whips attacking me, but the sting was nothing compared to the burning hole in my chest, caused by the thing I was chasing._

"_Edward!" I shrieked, watching as the beautiful face turned to me, his eyes cold and malevolent._

_And crimson._

_I staggered backwards, falling flat on my backside as the red-eyed monster approached, smiling the perfect, crooked grin._

"_This is what we are, Bella." He said, his voice like music to my ears. Without hesitation, I saw him come forward, kneeling in front of me._

"_You smell nice…" he mused, smiling thoughtfully. I suddenly felt a burst of fear rip through me as his eyes turned from the frightening red to an even more frightening black._

"_And unfortunately, I'm hunting." He said happily, leaning in. I felt his hand grip the back of my head, pulling my hair as he pulled my head up and pressed his nose to my neck inhaling deeply. I saw his eyes close as he shuddered violently with need, licking his lips._

"_Just a little pinch." He said, his voice entrancing and quite distracting, right before I felt a sharp pain in my neck, and a strange fire was lit…_

I woke with a scream, shooting up in my bed. The cold sweat drenched my body and bed as I gasped for air, falling back against the mattress with my eyes closed, trying to get a handle on my latest dream.

Edward… biting me?

Before I could analyze the dream any further, my door flew open and I heard people rushing inside.

I feigned sleep.

"Poor baby." Said a soft voice that belonged to Rose. I didn't move or even breathe differently as I felt Jasper's calming washing over me.

"She's fine." Said Emmett's voice, sounding sadder than he ever should. I felt someone's cold hand on my arm as another, more amplified wave of relaxation flowed through me, and my heart calmed itself.

"Let her be." Said Jasper's soft voice, determined not to "wake" me from my false slumber. I heard a sigh from Emmett before they left, and I was alone.

Or so I thought.

Before I could open my eyes and reveal myself, someone slid into bed beside me and ran a hand through my hair.

Rose.

"You're perfectly safe." I heard her coo to me, thinking I was asleep. I hadn't spoken to Rose in so long, and it hurt to hear the sadness in her voice as she spoke to me, trying to calm my sleeping form.

"I love you." She said gently, kissing my cheek. I wanted to cry at the intensity of her voice, but I remained still and motionless, trying to get back to sleep.

"We all love you." She whispered, her voice almost too soft for me to hear. I wouldn't have heard her if her lips weren't almost right at my ear.

"We'll always be here." She said softly, pressing another kiss to the side of my head before she wrapped her arms around me and gently pulled me closer, just as she used to when I was little. I felt her hand running soothingly through my hair, and before long, I returned to my own personal dream world, with Rosalie protecting me from the demons in my mind.

ooOoo

When six o' clock rolled around, I felt my eyes crack open to meet the dreary morning light streaming through my window. The events of the previous night slowly came back to me, and I said a silent thank you to Rose for being there last night, since I never would have gotten back to sleep without her intervention. Judging by the cold spot right next to me, she hadn't left until fairly recently, and I was glad she could keep the dreams away long enough to give me a good night's sleep. I didn't want demon-Edward haunting me every night.

Edward would never, ever bite me and change me. I knew that.

"Bella?" came a small voice from my doorway. I glanced over and saw Alice, all ready and prepared for school. She shot me a good morning smile before she inspected the outfit I'd chosen the night before. She seemed to approve as she tossed me the clothes and pointed me into the bathroom, where I dressed and groomed myself for the day.

"Makeup?" she asked, a small pout on her face. Unable to upset her more than I already had this past week, I succumbed to Alice's puppy-dog pout, letting her attack me with brushes, powders and creams to her little heart's delight. When she was done with me, she let me go, not daring to approach me about my hair, which she knew would be an instant 'no'. Makeup was one thing, but having her attack my head with heated appliances was quite another.

"Come on, slowpoke." She crowed from outside my door, making me sigh as she grabbed my hand and pulled me gracelessly downstairs, where mom placed some pancakes in front of me, just like old times.

"Thanks." I murmured, earning me a simple kiss as I shovelled them in, determined to be done as fast as possible.

"Done?" asked Alice, not bothering to wait for an answer before she whisked the plate away, setting it in the dishwasher. I had the sudden urge to wash it, but Alice shot me a stern stare, forcing the idea out of my head.

"You can ride with Emmett today." She said cheerfully, handing me my backpack. I just nodded and glanced over, seeing my burly brother coming down the stairs.

"Come on kiddo!" he cried happily, obviously pleased to have an occasion to show off his Jeep. Rosalie offered me a tender smile, and unable to resist, I reached over and hugged her before I was dragged outside to Emmett's massive vehicle.

"Up you get." He said cheerfully, lifting me into the large Jeep. He buckled me in before he tossed my bag at my feet, leaping into the driver's seat gracefully.

"When you get your licence, I'll let you drive it." He promised, winking at me. There was no way in hell that I'd ever be able to manoeuvre this thing through the streets of Forks.

"Sure thing." I said, appeasing him. He let out a loud laugh before he flicked on his radio, leaving Rosalie's station on. I frowned, fearing what I might hear coming through the speakers.

"Can we change it?" I asked quickly, earning me a small, confused frown.

"Sure." He said, pressing the down button. Instead of Rose's station, Jasper's Jazz CD played, and I didn't like that either.

It was too close to _his_ classical music.

My eyes went wide and rather misty as I jammed the button one more time, and a loud rap song blasted through the speakers. Emmett smirked, looking ready for my admonishments, but none came.

Rap was good. Sex, girls, money and other un-Edward-like things.

"This one's good." I said firmly, sitting back. Emmett looked at me like I'd grown a second head, but said nothing about it as he shrugged, not about to argue with me about his favourite music station.

"Cool." He said, taking off after Rose's BMW. The Jeep was loud, imposing, and quite the attention grabber as we drove, but for once, I couldn't care less. Emmett drove us to the school, where all the students in the lot stared at the massive hunk of metal that was Emmett's pride and joy. He turned it off and looked at me, smirking as he took my bag. He jumped out and I managed to get the belts undone before he opened my door and reached up to lift me out.

Once I was on the ground, I sighed, facing the entire student body of Forks High. Not one pair of eyes wasn't glued to me, and I blushed angrily, earning me a small sympathetic smile from Emmett.

"They're just curious." He said softly, making me nod as I moved closer to Rose, who was glaring daggers at every kid looking at me. Those who caught her gaze immediately looked away, obviously fearful. Rose sighed as the bell rang, signalling first period, and I grabbed my bag, moving steadily to my newest distraction.

ooOoo

The morning passed much as I expected it would- filled with questions and conspiracies, but not an ounce of truth to any of the rumours. Although I heard many ludicrous tales, each was blown from my head when Edward's name was mentioned. Each time a student uttered that name, it felt like the hole in my chest was being forced open with a crow bar. I tried to distract myself from the whispers and rumours, but it was fruitless. The teachers quickly learned to bypass me with their questions, since none of the inquiries directed at me were ever answered. Gym was hopeless, and I refused to participate in the volleyball game, under the pretense that I felt ill. The coach, having heard of my recent hospital stay, simply let it go and allowed me to be the scorekeeper on the bleachers instead.

Now, it was lunchtime, and I was the furthest thing from hungry. I was positively disgusted and sick. Everyone gossiped about Edward, and some about me, and with those murmurs came intense sadness and loss of appetite. I wasn't ready to eat anything, because I knew it would be a replay of my cracker incident last week.

I walked slowly to the cafeteria amidst the open stares and whispers that seemed to be following me everywhere. The cafeteria, luckily, was a large room, so hopefully I'd be able to drown out some of the talking and just listen to the noise as a buzz- an unidentifiable buzz that wasn't discernable even by the keenest ears. The students all trekked after me as we walked through the chilled air, making it to the cafeteria in one large mass, for which I was glad. I didn't want to walk in all alone.

When I finally made it inside, I glanced around, seeing all the different faces watching me. I blushed and looked down, ready to move to the same table my family sat at when I saw it.

The empty chair.

Four figures sat at our usual table, but two chairs remained pushed in. They were side by side and both looked quite desolate without their occupants.

I couldn't sit there. I couldn't fill only one chair without filling the other one as well.

I needed an alternative.

Slowly, I glanced around the room and saw another table- a small, rather cramped table in the opposite corner. That would be my mealtime refuge.

Before I could get away, I saw my family's eyes glued to me, watching in confusion as I walked to the table that was cut off from the rest of the room.

A few eyes followed me as I moved, but when I sat down, I just became another face in the crowd. I was invisible, and I was very glad for it.

The table I had wasn't a large one, but rather a small, little two person table that easily fit me and my bag. Not wanting a lunchtime partner, I placed my bag on the other chair and leaned my head against the wall, trying not to imagine the two empty chairs at the other table.

I should have known my solitude wouldn't last.

Before I could get comfortable at my new table, I heard the cafeteria chatter change to near silence as all the heads turned in one direction.

Our normal table.

Slowly, I glanced over as well, seeing Rosalie standing in all her glory, grabbing a tray of food as she moved through the crowds, who all dispersed, not wanting to get close to the intimidating vampire. She ignored all the eyes on her as she met my own gaze, compassionate and caring. When she made it to my table, she easily removed my bag from the chair, placed the tray in front of me and sat down, watching me sternly.

"Bella." She said softly, listening as the chatter resumed once again.

"Rose." I said shortly, making her frown as she offered me a fry. I simply shook my head and she sighed, watching me closely.

"Esme wants you to eat, and so do I." she said softly, trying once more to make me eat. More annoyed than before, I shoved a single fry into my mouth.

"There." I said, making her frown as she sighed, placing the carton in front of me.

"Bella, eat." She said sternly, clearly remembering what happened last time I'd refused.

"I feel sick." I admitted, making her sigh as she felt my forehead, determining that my temperature was normal.

"Try please?" she asked, leaning in closer so that no one would hear our discussion.

"No." I said stubbornly, making her frown.

"You need to eat." She said quietly.

"I do eat." I snapped, my irritation getting the better of me. She stared at me, looking slightly hurt before I frowned and put my head down on the table.

"Bella…" she said, trying once more to force food on me.

"Stop it Rosalie." I said dangerously, making her frown.

"No." she said, just as stubborn as I was. I looked up angrily and she sighed, passing me an apple instead.

"No thank you." I said tersely, not in the mood to throw up in front of the entire school.

"Eat it." She said lowly, dropping all pleasantries. With one swift movement, I was out of my seat, my bag in hand.

"Bella, sit down." She said quickly, looking rather worried now. Without a second glance, I threw my bag over my shoulder and walked right out of the cafeteria, and away from prying eyes.

* * *

EPOV

Once again, my cell phone was ringing.

And ringing.

And ringing.

Just as it had been for two days now. It never stopped ringing, and I knew my voicemail was full.

I hadn't had the courage to check them. What if Bella had called me? I couldn't listen to her voice without immediately dashing back home- the one place I didn't deserve to be.

I wouldn't be the monster that stole her soul, and until she was safely married and old, I wouldn't go back. Not while that risk was there.

The cell phone rang again. I pulled it out, stopping my run to check the caller ID.

Alice.

With an angry gesture, I flipped it open, hearing my sister's angry voice on the other end.

"Don't you dare hang up--" she shrieked, right before I did just that, and flipped the phone shut.

Sorry Alice.

While Alice was undoubtedly cursing me and my lack of communication, I took the time to turn the dreaded phone off, not wanting it to ring incessantly. I slowly placed the inactive piece of plastic back in my pocket as I glanced up at the sunny sky, seeing my skin glittering in the light that shone down on me.

Rio was in my past, and Mexico was my future. Running between counties and continents kept me quite busy, especially with the extreme variation in wildlife.

It almost distracted me from what I'd left behind.

Almost.

**A/N: So I know we're all mad at Edward, but really, he's not any happier than his family is. I suppose the right word to use for Edward would be a "martyr" in his own mind. He thinks he's doing the right thing- suffering for his beliefs, but in reality, he's just being an idiot.**

**He'll realize the error of his ways eventually.**

**Review please!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 23**

Running

**A/N: So here's the next installment of DITR... It's unedited though, so beware... my friends and I are in some sort of fight, and I'm trying to find out what happened after I left school (I was soo damn mad!) and went home, so I'm sort of busy...**

**But you all deserve an update... even an unedited one.**

**Review please!**

BPOV

My mundane existence persisted for two whole months after the cafeteria incident, and the entire family had fallen into a new set of rules and routine.

Nothing more has been heard from _him _since he'd hung up on Alice eight weeks ago, and nothing more has been shared with me about him. No one dared even mention his name anymore, knowing that I'd leave the room, and maybe even the house. Even the kids at school don't talk about him anymore, seeing how badly I reacted. Only once did I cry at school, and after that, no one mentioned him, for which I was grateful.

I had my own routine, and I took great care in making sure it was adhered to. I woke up at six, got ready for school, went to school and did the work as best I could, came home and started my homework, ate dinner, then I went back upstairs and do more homework or housework until ten, when I went to bed.

Then the cycle repeated itself.

Homework became sort of a necessary ritual for me. Before, Jasper would help me with my math work and my English essays, but now, I refused to even let him look at it. If I had trouble, I'd sit until I got it, and if worst came to worst, I'd go online and look for a tutorial. I didn't need anyone's help anymore, and I rather enjoyed having to search tediously for the answers.

Anything to keep me distracted.

Some more changes happened with the others in the house as well. For example, no one even went near the piano anymore, especially not me. Television was taboo for me as well, since last time I watched it, it came up with a sickening romantic comedy.

That hadn't ended well.

There was only one flaw: no matter how hard I tried, I could never completely distract myself. Something was always there to remind me of _him _no matter where I went. He was everywhere.

I knew my family worried about my changes, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to change back. I didn't want to be careless and dependent. _He _had been right; my family had no reason to stay with me under a human pretense, so it would be absolutely counterproductive to depend on them for too much. By distancing myself, I was sure to be prepared for their leaving, whenever they chose to bring it up. If they all left me, I'd be ready.

Devastated, but ready.

After all, once I thought about it, what was I to them? I was Rosalie's charity case- the poor little beaten kid she'd brought home as her pet. Yes the dream-_him _had told me that. He told me what they all thought of me, and it made perfect sense.

Why would they want to stick by a charity case?

That's right. They wouldn't.

Dream-_him _had told me a lot of things while I slept, none of which were too pleasant.

The sad part? They were all true…

No. This was unchartered territory, and I had no desire to discover new continents in my brain.

Without hesitation, I picked up my rumpled duvet and meticulously made sure my bed was made and clean before I moved on to other areas of the house.

ooOoo

I watched from the stairs as he grabbed his jacket, kissing Alice's cheek.

"I'll be back later." He said softly, adding a small, meaningful look that I could decipher anywhere.

I was hurting him.

This wasn't the first time Jasper had plans to leave the house because of me and my rampant emotions. I knew he _wanted _to stay and help me, but it was starting to wear him down. It wasn't fair that I was pushing him out of his own house, and I was about to rectify that.

"Don't." I said, my voice coming out harsher than I'd intended. Clearing my throat, the pair at the door looked at me closely, Jasper sighing uncomfortably.

Along with knowing this was my fault, I also knew that he thought I was oblivious to his "outings".

"I'll go, you stay." I said shortly, grabbing my jacket as I threw on my old shoes.

"Bella, sit down." Said Jasper kindly. "I have to go hunting."

"No you don't. You did that two days ago." I accused, looking right at his golden eyes. Although Jasper was the least controlled, he'd gone for over two weeks without feeding before.

Two days was nothing, and I knew he was lying to me.

"Bella…" he said, trying to think up another lie.

"If I made you uncomfortable, you could just say something." I said harshly, turning to him. He bristled slightly and glanced at Alice for help, but she just watched me sadly.

"I can't ask you to leave." He said gently, touching my arm softly. With tears pooling, I glanced up at him.

"No, I'll just kick you out." I said sarcastically, pressing the tears back. "Don't lie to me, Jasper."

"I'm sorry." He said softly, sighing heavily. "We'll figure something out."

"It's already figured out. You sit and do whatever with Alice, and I'm going for a walk." I said firmly. He frowned and I sighed, turning to face the other members of my family who had all shown up sometime during my little confrontation.

"It's no trouble for me to go out for a while." Said Jasper, trying to stop me.

"Yes it is." I said again, knowing how much he hated being away from Alice. He frowned at my blunt honesty, simply falling silent.

"I'll go out." I said quietly, not blaming Jasper in the slightest. He was always trying to make people feel better.

"If you want to." He finally conceded, making me nod as I moved towards the door, opening it.

"Be careful." Said mom softly, looking awfully unhappy about having to kick either Jasper or myself out of the house so everyone could be happy.

"I will be." I promised in a monotone, moving outside. The crisp air hit me and I shivered as I closed the door behind me, making sure to snap it shut.

Without too much thought, I moved into the front yard, knowing I had to go a little ways from the house for Jasper to feel any better.

But where to go?

I saw the driveway, which led to the main road and I saw the small path that led to the creek behind the house.

And then I saw the other option: the forest path.

I'd been there before, and for some reason, I wanted to go again.

Pushing back the painful memories, I moved closer to the estranged, yet oddly familiar path, right before I broke into a run, dashing into the trees.

The sight hit me like a ton of bricks, and I forced back the unpleasant memories. This was the last place I'd seen_ him, _before he'd run off. I slowly forced my feet to move me down the path, where I passed many familiar landmarks I remembered from our walks down here. I knew the path, and I knew it was long, so it was perfect for my little walk.

At least Jasper would be happier.

That's when I discovered that walking was also an adequate distraction, especially since I needed to be extra cautious not to fall over and hurt myself. The rhythmic thump of my feet on the forest floor was an excellent distraction, and I knew I could get used to this. It wasn't homework, it wasn't cleaning, and it wasn't school. Before too long, I broke into a hard run, dashing as fast as I could down the forest path.

I ran for a good mile before I was shocked to find that I had yet to fall- something that should have happened as soon as I entered the forest. I was breathless, sweaty and quite exhausted now, but I still felt a strange happiness at the idea of a good distraction. I could do this every day, and I decided I would.

This path was my new sanctuary, and if I had anything to say about it, I'd never sit in the house and clean again. I would be out here, rain or shine, running down the path.

I noticed it was dark out now, and everyone else was undoubtedly panicking about me, so I turned around and followed the path right back out into my yard, even more tired and weary than before.

But I was rejuvenated.

As quickly as I dared, knowing this sudden onslaught of grace couldn't last forever, I made my way to the front door, where I walked inside, facing my worried mother.

"Oh, there you are." She said, obviously relieved. With a firm hug, she looked me over, confused by my sweat and panting.

"What were you doing?" she asked, suspicious. Dad appeared as well, his brow slightly furrowed as I shrugged, making her frown disappointedly.

"Running." I offered, making her smile gently.

"Did you enjoy it?" she asked. I nodded a bit and she sighed, knowing I wasn't going to converse with her about it, and she let me go, sending me upstairs.

As quickly as I could, I made my way to my bathroom, where I started my shower. After washing the dirt and sweat away, I pulled my pyjamas over my head and moved to my bed, where I laid down and was asleep almost instantly.

**A/N: Review please!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 24**

Idea

**A/N: Alright. Here we are once again... and there's a cliffy. Sorry about that :D We actually get somewhere in this chapter though, and we get a look into Bella's, Alice's and Edward's heads. The end of this part is nearing, as sad as that is... so please review!! You've been so good at it lately.**

**Now, for those of you who don't know, the promised "outtake" story is uploaded on my profile and Emmett's Tea Party is up. Check it out.**

**Review! **

BPOV

The forest became my new haven, and I had to say, I loved it.

My strict routine was altered to accommodate my newest hobby, and every day, whenever I had a free moment, I was out of the door and into the forest, walking or running along my trail as I concentrated on the rhythm of my feet and heart, sometimes synchronized together. Sometimes, when the weather was nice, I was even able to sit on a special tree stump and do my homework there. Those times were my favourite, and it was perfect for both me and my family. I got out of their hair, I got my distraction, and Jasper could live peacefully in his own house without overemotional humans holding him down.

I much preferred the outdoors to the house now anyways, since I'd created new memories in the forest. The entire house reminded me of _him, _but out here, I just focused on nature. There were always birds, always animals, and always something to do, even if it was just walking. Sometimes, when it rained, it seemed like the whole forest was glittering… I loved it. It was my new fix.

Now, I was walking- not running this time- and admiring everything I saw on my trail. The forest was passing by slowly, and I saw the little birds bathing in the small puddles, which brought a hint of a smile to my face. I stopped walking to admire them as they frolicked and pranced in the wet pools, the green foliage turning their feather's a greenish colour as well. The little birds blended in with nature, and I loved watching them in their element.

Their element was quickly becoming mine as well. Perhaps I was turning into a bird.

But I didn't want to bathe in a puddle.

"Cute." I muttered, startling the bathing bird as it flew up into the tree next to it, making me frown guiltily.

If I was going to walk in the forest, the least I could do was leave the animals alone. This was, of course, their home before it was my sanctuary. That bird had every right to be here, and me? No right at all. This was _not _my home, nor was it my family's home.

It was the bird's home, and I'd scared it.

"Sorry." I said, feeling stupid for talking to a bird. The bird chirped softly, and I could have sworn it was a reply.

"Good to know." I said, once again, feeling idiotic. I didn't care. That bird knew nothing of my problems, my life, or even what depression was. He wouldn't know a depressed human from Alice, and I was all the happier for it.

"So…" I said, glancing up at the wet sparrow in the tree. It watched me with one beady black eye, not trusting at all.

"Yeah, I know. I could eat you." I said exasperatedly, watching as it blinked.

"But I won't." I said. He chirped.

"So, do you have a girlfriend?" I asked, eliciting no response from my feathered friend. I took that as a yes.

"She's that great, huh?" I asked, amused as the bird bristled, almost in pride.

"Can you even understand me?" I wondered out loud. The bird continued to stare.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." I said. With an almighty squawk, he flew off into a more distant tree, chirping with another bird like him.

"At least you have a friend." I grumbled, jealousy rearing its ugly head as I sat on the rotting log next to me. Sighing, I looked around the forest, feeling very at home in this green haven. It was like my safe place- the one place where _he _didn't even exist.

Sighing again, I stood from the log and glanced back at the path, debating whether or not I should turn back. Before I could make my decision, something both heart-wrenching and quite familiar caught my eye.

An old, gnarled oak tree stood innocently on the side of the path, its brown bark covered in moss as it waited, calling out to me.

* * *

APOV

"I don't like her being out in the woods like this." Said Carlisle suddenly, breaking everyone's attention from the evening news we were watching. I was perched leisurely on Jasper's lap, and his arm was draped around my waist as we all turned to Carlisle, Jasper sighing.

"Alice would see danger." He reasoned, earning us a small frown.

"There's so much out there that could hurt her." He continued, disregarding Jasper's reasoning. Personally, I knew he was right. Bears, wildcats, coyotes or even wolves could be lurking out there, but I trusted my sight enough to tell me if something was going to hurt her.

"She's happier." Said Esme in a calming voice, looking at her husband. "Let her be happy." She said firmly.

"Happy and in danger?" he challenged, earning a frown from Esme.

"Alice will see." She said firmly, her trust in my sight speaking for her.

"I suppose." He said, glancing out the front window. The sun was going down now, and Bella was expected back quite soon.

"Alice, can you look?" he asked, making me nod as I closed my eyes and rested against Jasper.

But the vision of Bella never came.

_Edward is running through familiar territory, his black eyes quite wild and depressing as he looks around him. Before long, he comes flying out of the trees and right into our front yard, where he heaves a sigh and moves towards the door._

_His watch reads 10:24, tonight._

I snapped back from that vision with a gasp of surprise, attracting everyone's attention. Jasper immediately worried for Bella's safety, but when my face broke into a wide smile, he went from anxious to confused.

"What?" he asked gently, glancing at the ever-darkening sky outside. It was only about seven right now, but still.

Three and a half hours, and he'd be home.

"Alice, what did you see?" asked Carlisle firmly, his voice edgy and quite unhappy with my silence.

"Edward's coming back." I blurted out, effectively halting all questions.

"Edward?" asked Esme, her voice breathy and quite emotional. I knew she put on a brave face, but in truth, she missed her son dearly.

"When?" asked Emmett gruffly, checking the clock.

"He'll be home at 10:24." I said happily, excited to see my asshole of a brother again.

"I'll kill him!" shouted Rosalie angrily, her eyes changed from gold to flat black as she glared at the front door. Emmett grabbed her before she could break anything and she slapped him angrily, making him let her go.

"You know what he did!" she hollered, absolutely livid. Jasper stood gently, placing me on the couch alone as he eyed his supposed twin warily, not wanting to get in between her and the object of her rage.

She may look like a Barbie doll, but Rosalie was an incredibly fierce and ruthless fighter.

"Relax." Said Jasper soothingly, sending her a wave of calm. She felt it and before it took effect, she snarled at Jasper, but he simply amplified the emotion until she sagged down into her chair, still displeased.

"Why is he coming back?" she demanded, making me shrug. Carlisle stood gently and sighed, sitting back down almost instantly.

"Just wait for him." I advised, making my father nod as he sat edgily, eying the forest through the window.

* * *

EPOV

The state of Oregon never looked so heavenly.

I was crashing through the wilderness, determined to find my way home before the end of tonight. Despite the possible repercussions of my hasty choice, I knew that living abroad was doing no one any good. I missed my father, my mother, my siblings, and most of all, my Bella. I would go home to them and face their wrath, but I knew they'd forgive me eventually. Rosalie would be indifferent to my return, and I'd want to kiss her for it, knowing how normal it would be.

I craved normalcy, I craved companionship, and most of all, I craved family.

To put things in the terms of modern teenage boys, being alone sucked. That was the simple truth.

Rio de Janeiro was a beautiful place, as were Mexico, Texas, Chile and Peru, but nothing could compare to the rainy forests of home. I longed for the familiar white house, I longed for the angry pixie that would want to tear my head off, I longed for the long lecture from my brothers, I longed for my mother's embrace, and I longed for the sweet scent of my comrade- my little human Bella.

I even longed for Rose's spite, if that were at all possible.

I wanted my life back, and I was about to go and get it. Leaving was the stupidest move of my life, and I knew that without a doubt, I'd never leave that family again. I would never, ever even try to step out of that door with any degree of permanence, unless, of course, I was kicked out.

But Carlisle wouldn't do that. He was entirely too caring for his own good.

Oregon was passing me by, and I knew Washington was just a few hours away.

**A/N: Boy is Edward in for a shocker. Rose's indifference? HA!**

**If you don't get the end of Bella's part, I suggest returning back to chapter 13 and looking there.**

**If I get enough reviews, I'll post chapter 25 tonight.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 25**

Familiarity

**A/N: Great number of reviews for the last chapter... They made me quite happy! :D**

**Now, here we are at chapter 25. Some of you are speculating about B and E's reunion, but I can safely say that no one has gotten it right so far... :)**

**Review for a morning chapter!**

BPOV

The gnarled oak stood before me, taunting me as I stared, willing it to disappear.

I loved and hated that old tree- we had quite the bittersweet relationship. At one time, I would have been giddy with glee to see it, but now, it just served as a painful reminder of what once was.

A reminder that I had the strangest urge to pursue.

I knew what lay beyond that tree, and despite the encroaching darkness, I wanted to go on. I wanted to move further into my sanctuary of trees to discover the lovely haven at the end of the tree's unmarked trail.

The meadow.

I could distinctly recall the strange, symmetrical field filled with wildflowers and sunlight, and I despite the sadness that rose with the memory, an odd sense of longing struck me as well.

I wanted to see it again. I wanted to live and breathe that meadow, and _he _wasn't here to take me this time…

Without hesitation, I walked off of the main trail and disappeared behind the twisted oak, walking in the general direction I remembered from my previous travels.

I walked as I glanced around, searching for any sign of the two maple trees that marked the entrance to my meadow. I knew it was foolish to expect them already, but I couldn't help but hope that the field was closer than I'd thought. With a small moment of hesitation, I dashed off into the trees, running in a straight line through the shrubbery, trying to remember where _he _had turned and weaved. I knew it was a relatively straight line, but even the smallest turn could lead me astray, then I'd be screwed until Alice saw me and someone came to find me.

And boy, would they be mad.

Somehow, the rage of six vampires didn't faze me as I moved, all the more determined to actually reached my destination. I remembered what had happened last time I'd run off into the trees like this, but I was determined not to make the same mistake twice. This time, I knew what I was seeking actually existed; it wasn't a collection of strange blooming colours. No. It was a real, tangible field that I longed to find.

Maybe the stars would be out…

I knew that finding my meadow would be a bittersweet moment, but if I could help it, I'd focus on the sweet, not the bitter.

I took off running through the ever-darkening trees, determined to reach my destination before the darkness completely overshadowed my path.

ooOoo

The darkness was thick and heavy tonight as I sought out my meadow. The trees overhead were like black sheets blocking any light the moon might have given me, but I remained quite confident in my pursuit.

The pursuit of happiness. That's what this was.

I examined the ground carefully, annoyed when I didn't find any traces of activity or footprints. I knew that _he _had traversed this path many times before, some with me, and some without me, so surely there should have been some sign of activity?

Apparently not.

Without stopping to think about my decision, lest I should regret it, I dashed forward, trying to stay in a straight line. I could hear the rustling of animals in their forest homes, but instead of being scared, I was comforted that wildlife still existed out here. I wasn't completely alone.

Before the strange darkness could get to me, I saw them- the two thin maple trees that served as the gateway to the meadow.

I stopped dead in my tracks as I stared at the entrance, both triumphant and terrified at the same time. I was glad to have stayed on the right path, but I was terrified to actually go in there.

_Don't be a baby, Bella, _I thought to myself. Without further ado, I marched forward, my mind screaming at me to turn around. This wasn't a good thing. I'd panic in there…

But I had to go.

Without pausing, I marched right through the two maple trees, and into the moonlit meadow I'd been searching for. As I glanced around, everything was familiar, down to the last flower, and it hurt. All at once, the memories and sadness came crushing down on me, breaking the mask of routine and calm I'd created around myself these past three months, and it brought me to my knees.

A high, pealing sound resounded through the meadow, echoing off of the trees that encased it. It took me a moment to realize that the sound was coming from me, and that I was crying again.

I could picture him, his pale skin glimmering in the sunlight as he walked towards me, happy and carefree. I remembered how he'd lay in the sun and share stories of his childhood with me before he'd be forced to carry me back to the house, where Alice would be waiting…

I remembered his _everything. _Everything about him became painfully clear as I crouched in the meadow, my forehead touching the wet grass gently. I let the torrent of emotion roll over me as I tried to force the memories out of my head.

They were all lies.

Every last word.

He never cared.

He never loved me.

_Especially _not in the same way I loved him…

The crying continued.

The wounds he'd created for me were violently torn back open, and I could almost feel the dagger-like spears piercing me as I laid there, overwhelmed by my own grief and misery.

I needed Jasper.

And I needed him _now._

Without my empathic brother to help, I simply keeled over in the grass, letting the tears fall to the ground as the sadness consumed me.

* * *

EPOV

I glanced at my watch as I weaved through the familiar territory.

10:23

I would be home within seconds, and I could safely say that I'd never been more relieved. I could see the glowing yellow lights inside the house before I even came out of the trees, but when I did, I was even happier. When the trees ended, I heaved a sigh of relief and moved up to the front door, hearing the minds of my family. I was shocked to hear five minds blocked from me, while one was openly hostile and quite infuriating.

Rosalie.

"_I hope you can hear me right now, and if you can't, I'll keep thinking this until you do…" _came her thoughts, accompanied by an onslaught of rather shocking images.

_Bella in the dark._

_Bella in the hospital, needles coming from her small hand._

_Bella at school, rejecting Rosalie's affection and care._

_Bella facing off with Jasper, then leaving the house. _

_Bella crying. _

_Bella refusing food. _

_Bella vomiting in her bathroom._

Why was she showing me this? I was appalled and disgusted, determined to hunt down the being responsible for causing her that sort of pain.

"_I hope you're happy, dick-face." _Ouch.

Had I done that?

Without hesitation, I darted towards the front door and opened it slowly, hearing a small noise come from the living room as my father came out, facing me with a blocked mind and grave face.

"Son." He said sombrely, looking at me closely. I stared at him for a moment, immediately ashamed of my departure and lack of communication. Instead of berating me, he simply stepped forward and embraced me- always the pacifist.

"Welcome home." He said, patting my back as he stepped aside, letting me through. Although I didn't carry mirrors with me through my travels, I'd seen my ragged self in the eyes of the humans I came across, and I knew I looked less than presentable.

"Your mother's missed you." Said Carlisle softly, making me frown as I nodded, stepping further into the house.

I felt like a stranger when I stepped foot into the sitting room.

Esme, true to her nature, jumped out of her chair and squeezed me into the biggest hug I'd ever received, making me smile softly as I hugged her back.

"_Why the hell are you here?" _came Rosalie's angry thoughts.

"Being alone is hard." I said simply, admitting my weakness. She scoffed loudly, and I was shocked when Emmett had to hold her down.

So much for indifference.

"Don't preach that shit to me." She spat angrily, restrained by her burly husband. "There are people around here who are far more lonely than you, I can tell you that."

"Excuse me?" I demanded, looking at her firmly.

"You _killed _her." She spat, effectively shocking me.

No.

Was Bella…dead?

"She's been a shell since you left, you self-centred asshole." She spat. I heaved a sigh of relief and she narrowed her eyes at me.

"I'm sorry." I said, making her scoff.

"No you're not. You don't even know what you did." She retorted. Everyone was silent while she opened her mind to me, revealing her innermost thoughts and feelings.

_Bella walked towards the piano in the living room before she halted, staggering backwards. Rosalie watched from the couch before she stood, watching Bella closely. _

_The tears pooled in her eyes and without hesitation, they fell down her smooth cheeks as she shook, making Rosalie walk forwards. I saw through Rosalie's eyes as she hugged Bella gently, supporting her weight as her legs crumpled beneath her and she was plagued with debilitating sobs that completely consumed her._

"_Shh." Came Rose's soothing voice, trying to stop the emotions from hurting her anymore._

"_I miss him." she choked out, making my heart shatter._

"And that's not the half of it." Spat Rose, making me stare. Before Rosalie could get another word in edgewise, a small blur shot at me and I felt a small hand collide with the side of my face with a loud slap.

"Alice!" gasped Esme, covering her mouth with her hand. Alice stood before me, shockingly intimidating for one so small, but before she could attack me again, she flew at me, crushing me in a hug that would rival Emmett.

"Don't you _ever _do that again." she said, her small body shaking as she held on. I shook my head wordlessly, mollified as I patted her back, appealing to Jasper for help. My blonde brother merely watched me with a cold gaze, not bothering to come to my aid.

And I couldn't blame him.

"_You really hurt her, Edward." _Came Jasper's thoughts, making me nod guiltily. Not only had I hurt Alice, but Bella had been crushed by my decision, and I knew I'd made a dire mistake. Even more guilt wormed its way into my system and with a forgiving sigh, I felt Jasper pry his wife off of me before he slapped my back gently, nodding politely.

The look on Rosalie's face was one of pure shock- one I would imagine would make its appearance if Jasper announced his decision to leave Alice for a housecat.

"Jasper!" she shrieked indignantly, obviously looking for support. Emmett just kissed her blonde hair before turning to me, looking intimidating, and quite lethal.

"_You fucked up," _he thought bluntly. _"She trusted you, and you completely abandoned her. We can't even say your name without her freaking out."_

"I'm sorry." I repeated, knowing that "sorry" would never undo what had already been done.

"_I should tear your ungrateful head off." _He thought angrily, his thoughts giving me a mental play-by-play of what that would look like.

"_I should hate you." _He added, making me frown. Somehow, the idea of Emmett hating me wasn't as appealing as I would have liked it to be. With Rosalie and Emmett teamed up, I knew I didn't stand a chance against either one of them. They'd protect Bella from me with all they had.

"_But I don't." _he added, making me stare at him for a long moment. He offered me a tense nod before he let go of his wife and came over to me, stopping a few feet away. Before I could react, his fist flew out and hit my jaw, making a sickening crack that made Rosalie smirk, but then he too gave me a brief embrace that wiped the smile off of Rosalie's face in an instant.

"Don't do it again." he threatened, making me nod quickly as he backed up, glancing at his wife.

"Fuck you all." She spat angrily, standing up as she darted upstairs. The door slammed and I cringed, knowing this was all my fault.

"Where's Bella?" I asked hesitantly, unsure whether or not I'd be allowed to see her. I didn't even hear her heartbeat in the house…

"Gone out." Said Carlisle worriedly, turning to Alice. Alice sighed and nodded her agreement.

"She's taken to walking down the forest path lately." She admitted, making me halt.

"She's _what?" _I demanded, my protective instincts kicking into high gear. I was ready to dash outside to bring her back in, but Carlisle stopped me.

"She needs space." He said quietly, glancing worriedly at the path. "If she's not back in ten minutes, we'll go looking." He said firmly, glancing around at the rest. I nodded, knowing I had no right to argue since I was the cause of this predicament.

Without another word, the living room fell silent, and we all waited for Bella's return.

**A/N: So there we go. Edward's back with his family. I wanted to make them all mad, but I really couldn't see Carlisle and Esme shunning their son. They're just too nice. Rose, on the other hand... well, let's just say her anger stretches into Part 4.**

**Review!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 26**

Victoria

**A/N: Alright... none of you have gotten the reunion scenario right... so that means it's a twist! The title of the chapter should give you a hint of what's to come, but the villains of Twilight had to come into play sometime! I prefer Victoria over James... hence the choice. James died in the first book- but Vicky lasted right until Eclipse. **

**Review!**

BPOV

The pain was crushing me. It felt like someone was tightening a vice around my chest as I laid there bawling like a baby in the grass, and no one would loosen the restraining device. There was only one thing I knew for sure:

I needed Edward.

His very_ name _had sobs rising in my throat as I choked over the air itself, waiting for something to help me.

It was pointless.

"Now, what have we here?" came a sweet, melodic voice out of the darkness. I gasped, not recognizing the strange voice.

Who would be out here in my meadow at this time of night?

"Hm." Said the voice, amused. I forced my head to look up, and instantly wished I hadn't.

It was a woman- a tall, cat-like woman with a mane of red hair that curled down her back. Her skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, and her eyebrows were raised in mock-worry.

But most fearsome of all, her eyes were a deep, deadly scarlet.

"Poor little human." She taunted, earning her a small whimper of fear.

Was this it? Was this the end for me?

I should have just gone home.

Before I realized what I was doing, I was on my feet, backing away. The feline-woman moved forward.

"Don't touch me." I spat angrily, making a tinkling laugh escape her mouth.

"No, why would I do that?" she asked, her eyes darkening by the second.

"Go away." I said shakily, sounding immature to even my own ears. She laughed at me again.

"I'd rather not. You see, I'm searching for food…" she said, obviously not realizing that I knew what she was.

"I hear there's a lot of grizzlies up north." I said wildly, knowing she was a human-feeder.

"Grizzlies?" she asked, confused. She suddenly snarled at me and smiled menacingly.

"Well, perhaps you know that I don't like grizzlies." She said, moving closer. I knew I had no chance against her, but I had to try, right?

"What do you like then? A positive or B negative?" I asked, only realizing how rude I sounded after it had slipped out.

"Cheeky." She said, smirking at me as she crouched. "I'll make it quick." She promised.

"They'll kill you." I said honestly, thinking of how angry and upset my family would be to find me dead at the hands of one of their kind.

"Let me tell you, mommy and daddy are no match for me." She said happily.

"Yes they are." I said honestly, and a flicker of confusion passed through her eyes.

"Well, if they're such skilled little humans, I'll finish this before they can even hope to find me." She said simply, just as a wall of fear hit me.

I didn't want to die.

So I ran.

Almost as soon as I turned, the woman lunged to me, snarling angrily. She grabbed onto my hair and yanked me down with a cry of pain as I hit the ground, hard.

"I'm Victoria." She added as an afterthought, making me cringe.

"You are?" she prompted, making me grimace as she tugged my hair again.

"Come now, cooperate and you live longer." she said, mock-sweetness seeping into her every word.

"Bella." I gasped as she pulled even harder, giving me a headache.

"Bella." She said, testing the name. With a laugh, she yanked me to my feet before sending me across the field, where I landed flat on the ground with a loud thud.

"That's for trying to run." She said angrily, making me whimper. Suddenly, she leaned over me and inhaled deeply, her eyes darkening significantly.

"You smell like one of us, yet your heart still beats." She said in wonder, making me gasp as she frowned.

"You have friends." She said ominously, not looking for confirmation. She just knew. She slapped me, hard, and I cried out, making her smirk.

"The squealing ones are always more fun." She said pleasantly, disregarding her latest discovery. I gasped and tried my hardest to keep quiet, but was unsuccessful when she lifted me by the arm at an odd angle, and I heard a dull snap before a pain shot up my arm.

_I'm in a closet. It's dark. _

"_Daddy!" I scream, my voice young and childlike. I'm scared, and the door opens, revealing a large, beefy man with drunk, unfocused eyes._

"_Stop screaming." He orders angrily, moving aside to glance at the bloody door. My fists are incredibly painful, but when the man moves, I dash out into the light of a rundown living room, angering the man._

_Charles Swan._

"_Get your ass over here!" he shouts angrily, taking two large steps over to me. I shake as he grabs my arm, pulling me back towards the ominous closet door._

"_NO!" I scream as I try to get away. He pushes me into the tiny space again and I hit him in vain, wanting him to move and let me free. Charles throws me back into the closet angrily, and I escape yet again as he slams the door._

"_Fuck!" he hollers in frustration, shoving my small body back roughly. Terrified and absolutely beside myself, I throw my arm out against the doorframe, wanting to be let out. Charles Swan takes the heavy wooden door and slams it shut, just as a sickening crack is heard and a bout of nauseating pain shoots up my arm before I'm left in the dark again…_

I came back to my senses, finally free from the confines of my own memory as I felt my front make contact with the ground. I felt a strange pain in my middle as something cut through the skin, and my head made contact with the hard ground.

Victoria tutted at me, but my hearing was muffled. My darkening vision wavered as she flipped me over and leaned over me, swallowing a mouthful of venom before she leaned over, poised for the kill.

Just as she went to bite, I saw her eyes widen in fear as she straightened up, glancing over her shoulder. Before she could so much as look at me again, a familiar white hand shot out and dislodged her from my body as she darted into the trees, and my eyes met those of Adonis himself.

The bronze hair fell into the black eyes of my saviour, and that's when I knew I really was dead. The white face hovered over me as I felt my heavy eyelids close.

"Edward." I whispered, right before the darkness pulled me under.

* * *

EPOV

The promised ten minutes from Carlisle passed in the blink of an eye, and before anyone could protest, we were making plans to go out and find Bella. Alice was frowning, not wanting to upset Bella by prying into her personal life, but Carlisle was asking, and Alice was hesitating.

"I don't want to spy." She said softly, frowning. Carlisle nodded in understanding, simply asking her again.

"Please Alice. We just need to make sure she's safe, and we can start looking." He said gently. Alice, seeing Rosalie making her descent to help with the search, simply sighed and nodded, thrusting her mind into the future

_Bella stands in a field as a red-haired woman approaches. The woman's eyes are a deep crimson as she takes in Bella's form, right before tossing her across the field. Bella lands with a loud thud and a groan as the woman makes her way over, grinning wildly…_

Alice came back from that vision with a gasp. Her mind was reeling and her eyes wild as she stared at me.

"Go!" she shouted, angrier than ever before. "Go, go, go!" she cried, absolutely beside herself.

"What?" asked Esme, standing worriedly.

Suddenly, it hit me.

Our meadow.

"I know where she is." I said quickly, as Alice explained in frightened, incredibly speedy tones what was happening.

That rogue woman would kill her.

Rosalie let out a feral shriek of terror as she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me outside, knowing I knew where she was. Forcing Rosalie to let me go, I dashed off in the direction of the all-too familiar meadow where this horrific scene was taking place. I heard footsteps behind me as I moved, but I left them behind as I tore through the trees, moving faster than I ever had when I was on my own.

That woman would die tonight. She would pay dearly for what she was trying to do, and she would _not _get away with this.

"Find her!" shrieked Rosalie in the distance as I tore through the woods. I ignored her thoughts that assaulted me as I moved, simply focusing on moving closer to the meadow.

The gnarled oak tree was far behind as I ran at indecent speeds, cursing my inability to teleport. How useful that would be right now…

Before long, I came across the meadow, where the scent of Bella's spilled blood hit me like a freight train.

There, on the other side of the field, was this predator, bent over the immobile body, poised for the kill.

I saw red and released a guttural snarl as I leapt at her, wrenching her off of Bella's nearly unconscious body. I saw her bloodied arm at an odd angle at her side, and there was a bloody gash on her stomach, and it only infuriated me even more.

"_We've got her, Ed."_ Thought Emmett, dashing through the meadow with Jasper at his side. Together, my brothers began the chase, hunting down the vicious creature who'd dared to harm an angel. I looked down at Bella's face and saw her eyes drifting out of focus as she struggled to keep them on me.

"Edward." She murmured, right before her eyelids fell shut, and her heart rate slowed.

"Bella?" I called loudly, hoping my voice would bring her back.

It didn't.

Without hesitation, I gently scooped her up off of the forest floor and began my run back to the house.

_Hold on, angel._

**A/N: Man, I'm nasty, aren't I? That's the problem with me... I don't realize how bad the cliffie is until I'm updating... I'm sure some of you have that problem as well. You just end a chapter where it's good to end it, and then you realize that it's quite a nasty place to stop for the readers.**

**Well, some more avid readers will recognize the parallels between this chapter and the "Edward's leaving" chapter. After that, I wanted to write the "Charlie and the Closet" scene (that sounds quite inappropriate, as it reminds me of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") from an older POV. **

**If I get enough feedback I'll end the cliffie-misery with another chapter sometime later tonight! Review!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 27**

Admitted

**A/N: Aw, see? I'm not too mean... even though the cliffie was. Well, here's chapter 27... do you think we can make it to 1500 reviews for this one??**

**REVIEW, since I gave you an OBSCENELY early update.**

EPOV

The trees were no obstacle for me as I weaved through them, holding the unconscious, injured girl in my arms as gently as I could. Within moments I could see the house appearing in the distance, the lights on as Carlisle paced inside, his thoughts aggravated and jumbled. I gathered that Alice had forced him to stay in the house until someone had brought her back, since he was the medical expert of the house.

Without hesitation, I ran up to the front door and showed it no mercy as I kicked it open, ignoring the splinters that spread through the entranceway. Having smelled the potent blood, Carlisle was at her side in an instant, his thoughts going from worried to enraged.

"What happened?" he demanded, taking her from me gently. I snarled angrily as he laid her down, and I could hear Esme and Alice returning from their search.

"I don't know." I admitted. "She threw her." I added, remembering the vision. Carlisle snarled- an out of character move for such a calm, good-natured man, and immediately used his fingernail to tear a slit up her shirt, not daring to take it off normally.

I looked away from the blood and gore that made up her midriff, settling for examining with Carlisle in his mind.

"_Broken." _He thought sadly, pressing softly on her ribs. He pressed his ear to her chest and sighed before he took up her broken arm, seeing the bone poking at an odd angle. He frowned and took the arm in his hands, holding it firmly.

"_Did she pierce the radial?" _he asked frantically, looking at me. I stopped averting my gaze as I frowned, glancing at her arm. It was horribly swollen, and very bruised, and I now that I sought it out, I could smell the fresh blood pooling under her skin.

"I think so." I breathed, making Carlisle frown as he snatched her up off of the floor, trying to be gentle.

"Start the car." He said, making me nod as I found the keys to my Volvo on the hook by the door.

"Edward?" asked Esme, coming into the house worriedly. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled the air, smelling the spilled blood.

"Go Edward." Said Alice, already knowing what happened. I nodded and grabbed my keys, dashing out to the garage.

I found my Volvo under a protective sheet, and made a mental note to thank Rosalie after this was all settled. Without hesitation, I threw the sheet off of my car and started it up, glad to see enough gas in the tank. Without hitting Rosalie's precious BMW or my Aston Martin, I managed to fishtail my car out of the garage, driving it up onto the lawn.

"Thank you." Said Carlisle, jumping into the backseat with Bella in hand. Esme and Alice also got in the car, just as Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper came out of the trees. Smelling the blood, Rosalie tried to ask me what I was doing, but I floored it before she got the chance and sped off down the driveway, leaving the others to follow behind.

"Come on, honey." Said Carlisle frantically, tapping her cheeks. He held her arm up- something that would have been extremely painful if she were awake- and he tapped her face, looking her over. She had nothing but her bra on, thanks to Carlisle's intervention, but that was the last thing on his mind as he glanced at the bleeding wound on her stomach. We could only be thankful that the attacker hadn't gotten the chance to bite her. That would have been catastrophic.

"Go faster." Said Carlisle, forcing me to speed up as we entered the main town. The hospital was less than a minute away at this speed, but before I got too far, I saw the red and blue lights flashing behind us.

"Ignore them" murmured Carlisle, making me nod as I floored it, moving faster than the police cruiser could ever move, pulling up in front of the hospital doors. The officer pulled in behind us, his thoughts less than pleased. Without acknowledging the law enforcer behind us, Carlisle pulled Bella from the car, effectively startling the rookie cop who'd tried to pull me over. Carlisle disappeared through the doors, leaving me to deal with the cop.

"Do you know how fast you were going?" he asked, sounding like he memorized a textbook.

"Yes." I said shortly, earning me a rather awkward nod.

"Is she ok?" he asked, glancing worriedly at the doors.

"She was attacked while hiking." I said, getting the story out of Carlisle's head as he explained the predicament to the flustered doctor.

"Oh." He said, nodding slightly. "Well, I still have to give you a ticket." He said, rather hesitant. I snarled lowly, spooking him as he took out his booklet and ran my plates.

"Cullen?" he asked, making me turn to him, nodding.

"Insurance?" he said, making me sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose as I nearly tossed the necessary paperwork at him.

I wanted to get away from him.

"Well, according to this, this is the first offence--" he started, looking slightly happier.

"Am I getting a ticket or not?" I asked shortly, not caring either way. I could afford a measly speeding ticket.

"I'll let you off with a warning." He said sternly, making me nod as he handed me back the paperwork.

"Thank you." I said firmly, watching as he nodded, allowing me to pull my car into Carlisle's designated spot near the door.

"Are you Dr. Carlisle Cullen?" asked the cop sceptically, earning him an eye roll as he read the name on the sign.

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen just brought Bella inside. Now, if you'll excuse me..." I said briskly, walking past him as Esme's Audi flew into the lot, making the cop sigh as he shook his head, not even bothering to ticket Rose- who was driving. Before the others were so much as out of their car, I was in the ER waiting room, where Carlisle was seated, his shirt covered in blood.

"They took her into a trauma room." He said, grimly pleased that we'd made it in time. I merely nodded as worry finally settled in, and I was able to think again.

Would she be ok? Would she hate me when she woke up? I couldn't blame her if she did…

"Carlisle?" asked Esme, coming around the corner quickly. Carlisle stood and hugged her, but the blood didn't escape anyone's notice. Rosalie simply stared at me with distaste, but I'd redeemed myself slightly in her mind by preventing the bite. I frowned, trying my hardest to hear the attending doctor's thoughts as Alice, Jasper and Emmett came through the entranceway.

"_Prep the OR." _I heard him think, right before he said it, catching everyone's attention. I sighed and Carlisle stood up, looking at the nurse.

"We'll be in the OR waiting room." He told her, earning him a confused stare.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously, making Carlisle smile.

"It's my professional medical opinion that tells me her radial artery needs surgical repair. I'm sure Dr. Snow will agree." He said smoothly, making the nurse blush as she nodded, returning to her paperwork. Carlisle led us up two flights of stairs until we hit the surgical floor, where the smell of blood was most potent.

"Through here." He said softly, letting us into an empty waiting room filled with chairs and magazines. Alice sat down closest to the door, letting Jasper follow as he sat down beside her. Rosalie took the seat beside the end table, and she picked up a magazine, skimming through it worriedly as Emmett took a seat by her side. Esme and Carlisle chose seats at the end of the room, and I was left to sit where I was, against the far wall.

"Did you catch her?" demanded Carlisle, looking at his two sons closely. Both of them frowned darkly, glancing at me before they shook their heads.

"What?!" I shouted, angry and appalled. I leapt up out of my seat, but Carlisle eyed me sternly.

"_Sit down and don't you dare make a scene."_ He thought, thinking of how the humans would kick us out if I behaved badly.

"She ran into La Push." Said Emmett angrily, making me snarl. "Then we saw her swimming south."

"She should stay there." Said Alice snippily, looking quite angry with this mystery offender.

"South is good." Agreed Jasper, smirking grimly at the memories of what lurked in the far south. He knew the horrors of war and suffering down there.

"Good for her, anyways." Said Emmett, earning a small grin from Jasper.

"Boys." Said Carlisle disapprovingly, earning us all a small sigh from Esme.

"As long as she stays away." Said Esme firmly, looking at the far doors longingly as she waited for the doctor to come back and tell us how things were going.

"She will." Said Emmett firmly, deciding to make it his job to keep that quote on quote "bitch" away from his baby sister.

"Damn right she will." Rosalie chipped in, tossing the magazine to the table. Carlisle sighed as his suddenly violent children before we all stopped theorizing, falling silent. Alice frowned and decided to gaze into Bella's future, making me feel much better.

_A fleeting image of Bella in a hospital bed, tubes coming out of one arm and a thick wrapping of gauze on the other. She slept soundly in her bed as I held her needled hand, watching as the heart monitor increased…_

"She'll be fine." Said Alice firmly, looking at me with a small smile. I managed to return the fleeting smile as I waited impatiently, listening to the surgeon's thoughts.

"_Poor girl, she'll be sore for a while." _He thought to himself, making me grimace.

"What?" demanded Rosalie, glaring at me.

"Nothing." I said, shaking my head. She snarled angrily and stood up, earning us both a tired sigh from Carlisle.

"He says she'll be sore for a while." I shot at her. She frowned deeply and glared. "Happy?" I asked sarcastically, my irritation and worry finally getting the best of me.

"Listen here--" she started, pointing her finger at me. Carlisle simply looked at the two of us firmly, sighing.

"Enough, both of you. You're grown adults. Act like it." He said quietly, his voice as forceful and persuasive as ever. Rosalie just sat down, her thoughts cursing me to the deepest fathoms of hell.

I was not her favourite person right now. In fact, I think it was safe to say that my sister hated me.

But with good reason.

I'd hurt an angel.

Feeling the intense guilt coming back now that the panic and worry was gone, I saw Jasper glance at me sadly, looking contemplative.

"Edward." He said firmly, looking at me. I didn't return the glance, and he merely sighed, sending out a wave of calm for everyone to absorb. Rosalie shocked me by accepting it eagerly, and a strange flicker of pity crossed her thoughts as she looked at me, only to be replaced moments later with the intense hate she'd been feeling before.

At least there was hope.

"Relax, both of you." Said Jasper, focusing his power on Rosalie and I. I stopped resisting and let the feeling sink in as I sagged into the seat, watching Rose, who leaned on Emmett's shoulder, looking almost tired.

"She'll be fine." He said, glancing at Esme, who also looked quite tense. Offering her newest son a small smile, she allowed him to calm her as well, before everyone fell silent, waiting for the doctor's news.

**A/N: Poor Jasper... at least he softened Rosalie up, even if it was only for a fleeting second. Yeah, sort of a Twilight-New Moon medley of goodness there, with all the DRAMA! Albeit, it wasn't the femoral artery, but the radial (on your forearm), is just as good. **

**Before some medical-guru out there decides to get on my back about the artery, I researched, and the artery wasn't SEVERED, just damaged by the break in the bone, so it could technically take hours to bleed out before she died. **

**And she's not dead.**

**So review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 28**

Apology

**A/N: Here's the next installment of DITR part 3. As you can probably guess, we're coming to a close with this one, but never fear! Part 4 can be expected in the new year, since Christmas doesn't leave me with much time for anything, let alone writing. AND, my sixteenth birthday is this Sunday, so that's coming up too.**

**As for Bella "forgiving" Edward, well, that came out on it's own. She forgives him easily enough, but her trust in him won't come back as easily.**

**Review please!**

BPOV

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Why had Alice let me sleep in until my alarm? Shouldn't she have woken me up much earlier than this to dress me up?

Huh. I'd take it.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Shut up.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

For the love of God, why won't someone turn that thing off? I was tired, and I wanted to sleep.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Who was holding my hand? People didn't usually hold my hand while I slept.

Then I remembered.

The forest. The meadow. The vampire…

Victoria.

My eyes opened, and I was instantly faced with an incredibly bright light.

I groaned, and the hand holding my own tightened slightly as I tried again.

This time, I was expecting the strange light that invaded my sight, and I was ready for the headache it brought on.

"Bella?" asked a soft voice beside me. Frowning, I glanced over, blinking the light away as my eyes met dad- who was the one holding my hand.

The hand with a needle sticking out of it.

"Dad?" I croaked, making him smile gently. As I started to regain my bearings, I also started to regain my sense of touch.

And it hurt.

Everywhere.

"Hi sweetheart." He said softly, leaning closer to me. I stared at him and he smiled weakly, looking at my beeping heart monitor.

"Are you in pain?" he asked softly, brushing his fingertips over my heated cheek. I simply shrugged, but that revealed how much I _did _hurt, and he frowned.

"I'll call the nurse." He decided, reaching for the button beside my bed.

"No." I said sadly, trying my best to remember what had happened to me. Victoria was in the meadow and then…

Nothing.

Why couldn't I remember?

"What happened?" I asked, making dad sigh as he watched me.

"You went off the trail." He said, his voice a little angry. I nodded, blushing shamefully as he sighed, looking at me closely.

"And I'm told you went to a certain meadow, where a rather thirsty vampire waited." He said, his anger shifting towards the mysterious cat-like vampire in the meadow.

"Yeah." I said, remembering that.

"And then…" he started, hesitating. "You really don't remember?" he asked gently, making me frown as I strained my thoughts.

Victoria leaning down, Victoria… being pulled away?

By a white hand.

"Edward." I gasped, his name causing my heart monitor's beeping to speed up. Dad smiled wryly and nodded softly.

"Yes, Edward found you." He said gently. "And it's a good thing he did." He added, the small smile instantly wiped off of his face.

Edward had come for me.

Why?

"I love you dad." I said, unable to say what I wanted to.

"I love you too." He said, his eyes more caring than ever before. I knew it had been a while since I told him that, especially since I'd been so angry with him, but it was the truth.

I _did_ love him.

"What happened?" I asked again, referring to the sharp aches and pains I was feeling all over my body.

"Well, she pulled you through the ringer, that's for sure." He said, attempting to lighten the mood a bit. I just nodded and waited for the verdict.

"You have two broken ribs." He started, making me grimace. "There was a pretty nasty gash on your stomach that took 24 stitches, I believe, and then your arm." He said, grimacing towards my left side. I glanced over and saw it wrapped in gauze, resting on a pillow.

"She broke it." He said, confusing me.

"There's no cast." I murmured, remembering my previous broken arm.

The same one.

"No." he agreed. "The bone wasn't set properly, and they had to operate." He said, making me blanch. "It damaged the radial artery, and it was bleeding internally, so they had to go and repair that before they used a plate to bring the bone back together--" he said.

"Ok." I said, cutting him off. I was much happier with the simple explanation of "it's broken". I didn't want to know about metal implants stuck to my bones.

"You won't need a cast." He added softly. "Unless you overexert it, of course, but we won't let you do that."

"Yeah." I agreed, knowing they'd stop me from doing _anything _with it.

"Sweetheart, someone wants to come in." he said gently, making me frown.

Rosalie?

"Who?" I asked, wondering who'd actually ask before coming in. Mom knew she didn't have to, Rosalie just wouldn't, and neither would Alice or my brothers…

"Edward." He said gently, making me frown as I turned to him.

A pity visit?

"Can he come in?" he asked me softly, making me shrug again. I hissed as a bout of pain shot through my chest and midriff, making dad frown.

"Be careful please." He ordered gently, standing up carefully. He adjusted the blanket over me before he glanced at the door, deciding to let Edward in.

"I'll be back soon." He promised as he kissed my uninjured forehead and moved to the door, where he shot a stern glance towards the doorway, undoubtedly speaking in his head.

Before I could so much as react to the sudden change of company, dad's blonde head disappeared and someone else's popped through the door.

He was just as beautiful as before, and I wanted to cry.

"Hello." He said, his soft, melodic voice echoing through the room. I refused to meet his eyes and he sighed, coming in and closing the door behind him. He moved over to dad's chair and sat down, his golden eyes boring into the side of my head. I felt his cold hand reach out hesitantly and take my own heated one, right before he brought it to his lips and pressed a small kiss to the pale flesh.

I'd hit my head a little too hard, I decided.

"How are you?" he asked, making me frown as the tears pooled. He sighed, trying to let go of my hand, but no matter how upset and confused I was, I still didn't want him to leave. I grabbed his hand as best I could and ignored the pain that flowed through it, holding it tightly.

"Careful." He said, eying my IV as he loosened my grip gently. I took a deep breath and watched the heart monitor increase as the tears threatened to fall.

"I'm sorry." He whispered softly, leaning even closer to me.

The tears fell.

"Don't cry." He murmured, wiping them away with the pad of his thumb. When he touched my wet face, a strange jolt of electricity flowed through me, causing my heart to stutter. I tried to force the tears back, but he just frowned and wiped away the escapees, each time sending a new frenzy of feeling through me.

Why was he here?

"I'm sorry I said those things to you." He said softly, making me sniffle loudly as I risked a glance at him.

The golden eyes looked so sad and weary as they observed me, and I had no idea why.

He hated the human charade.

And he hated me.

"It's not true." He whispered, looking at me closely. "Not one word of what I said was true." With those false words, I turned to face him, angry and confused.

"Yes they were." I whispered, sinking lower into my bed. He frowned deeply and stared at me, obviously unsure of himself.

"No they weren't. Every last word was a lie, Bella. Every one." He said. The way his voice said my name threw the tears over the edge again.

I wanted so badly to believe him.

"No." I said, shaking my head firmly. He let out a loud sigh and I sniffed loudly again, letting more tears fall.

"Why won't you believe me?" he asked, exasperated and slightly confused. I turned to stare at the gorgeous face.

"It never made sense." I whispered, making him frown.

"What didn't?" he asked.

"You could do so much better than a human." I said sadly, feeling my self-worth drop a few notches.

"Bella." He scolded, looking angry with himself.

"It's true." I said, my voice breaking. He frowned and leaned even closer.

"I was scared." He admitted softly. "We could hurt you so easily…" he started, shaking his head.

"But you won't." I argued, making him smile wryly.

"That's not the point. Look at what we _could _do to you." He said, gesturing towards my sore, broken body.

"She's nuts." I said firmly, making Edward chuckle as he nodded.

"I guess you could say that." He agreed. "But those are our base instincts- that's what we're meant to be."

"But you're not. None of you…" I said, making him nod as more tears fell.

"Just because we deny them doesn't mean the instincts aren't there." He said gently, making me frown.

"You want to eat me?" I demanded, rather fearful now. He shook his head quickly, sighing heavily.

"_I _don't, but my kind most definitely does. You're our prey, Bella, and I couldn't let myself hurt you." He said softly, nodding to himself.

"You never hurt me before." I accused, wondering how shopping for dresses would suddenly make Edward want to gobble me up.

Unless he was lying.

"It was more than that." He said hesitantly, shaking his head. "But we can talk about it later."

Later? Wasn't he leaving again?

"You're staying?" I asked, my voice betraying my hopefulness. He chuckled gently, nodding as he rested his head on the rail of my bed.

"Yes, silly Bella, I'm staying." He said softly, making me smile as more tears fell.

"Why are you crying?" he demanded, frustrated with the steady flow. I sniffled and shrugged, grimacing afterwards.

I really needed to stop doing that.

"I don't know." I said honestly, having no idea why I was still crying.

I'd missed him too much, and now, he was back.

He simply frowned, never having liked the idea of me crying. Hesitating slightly, he stood up from the chair and reached over, giving me a soft hug. I could only return it with one arm, but I was just glad for the chance to smell him again, to see him and feel him, that I couldn't bring myself to care. When he pulled back, he tensed slightly and a look of mild fear crossed his face.

"Here we go--" he started, just before the door flew open and someone else came in.

"Get out." Snarled Rose's familiar voice, making Edward cringe. She was glaring daggers at him before he sighed, kissing my forehead. Rosalie's eyes met my own and they instantly melted into something much calmer and caring, but when Edward took too long, she snapped her fingers at him.

"Move." She ordered, pointing him out of the room. Edward, submitting to defeat, merely offered me a small smile before he moved towards the door.

"I'll be back later." He said, earning a small scowl from Rose as he moved slowly towards the exit.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out." said Rosalie scathingly, ushering Edward along as I let out a small laugh, glad that my family was getting back to normal.

**A/N: There's some angry-Rose for you. Bella, as you all know, is rather attached to Edward, even after his stupid move earlier in the story. YES, she "forgave" him to an extent, but NO, she doesn't trust him at all. She still thinks he'll leave her and the family again.**

**At least Rose would be happy if he did. **

**Review!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 29**

Rosalie

**A/N: Here's chapter 29! There's a one chapter left after this one, and then the epilogue, so please review!!**

BPOV

Almost as soon as Edward closed the door, I felt a strange sense of worry before Rosalie distracted me by fussing over every part of me she could reach.

"Does your arm hurt?" she demanded, glancing over at the appendage resting on the pillow. I was about to answer, but before I could, she moved on.

"This is crooked." She said, tugging my blanket to make it straight. She looked quite frantic in her ministrations, and I knew that she probably _had _panicked over me.

"Do you need me to call the nurse?" she offered, making me frown as I shook my head.

"I'm fine, Rose." I said, not being completely honest. Truth be told, I _did _hurt, but I wasn't telling her that.

"Are you sure?" she asked sceptically, making me nod gently.

"Positive?" she asked, making me smile as I nodded again.

"Alright then." She said, sitting down on the chair again as she held my hand softly.

I suddenly felt extremely guilty, remembering how I'd avoided and ignored her these past few months.

How could I have not noticed before? I'd probably hurt her…

"I'm sorry Rose." I said sadly, scared she'd be angry with me. She was so mad at Edward…

"For what?" she asked, confused as she leaned forward, making me frown.

"I've been so nasty." I said, disgusted with myself. She frowned and sighed, shaking her head.

"No." she protested, making me scoff.

"Yes." I said stubbornly. She just frowned.

"No, you've been upset. That idiotic moron waiting outside the door should be the one who's sorry!" she called, much louder than necessary.

"Edward?" I asked, making her frown.

"Yes, I mean the eavesdropper." She snapped towards the door, right before she sighed triumphantly.

"He's gone downstairs now." She said happily, making me frown worriedly. Seeing my reaction, she sighed sadly.

"He'll be back, you can be sure of that." She said, not too pleased with that truth.

"Ok." I agreed, watching as she smiled at me again.

"Rose?" I asked, making her smile as she watched me.

"What happened to her?" I asked, knowing she knew what I meant. Her eyes darkened, and I got my answer right away.

They didn't catch her.

"She got away." She admitted. "She ran onto Quileute land and jumped into the ocean."

"Quileute?" I asked, confused. She just smiled.

"The La Push reservation." She clarified, making me frown confusedly. They didn't follow her? That definitely didn't sound like my family…

"We're not permitted on their land." She said sadly, confusing me.

"The elders know what we are, and we have a treaty with them. We don't hunt humans or step foot on their land, and they won't attack." She said.

"Attack you?" I asked, almost amused. What could a bunch of humans do?

"Don't look like that." She warned sadly. "There's more than you think living on that reservation."

"Like what?" I asked, suddenly fearful of what could harm my family.

"Nothing to worry about." She said dismissively, earning her a small frown from me.

"They're the Quileute wolves." She whispered, making me frown.

"Wolves?" I asked, making her nod.

"Some select males on the reserve have a quirky gene, and they morph into giant dogs." She said, as if this were nothing at all.

"Right." I said, definitely amused.

"I'm not kidding." She said. "We might be the predator, but there's always something higher on the food chain."

"They _eat _you?!" I whispered incredulously. She laughed slightly and shook her head.

"We're natural enemies." She said softly, making me nod.

Normally, that would have been quite the shocker. But now, these pain meds were my best friend.

"Giant dogs." I mused, making her nod.

"And they smell awful." She added as an afterthought, wrinkling her nose.

"So she went onto the reserve?" I said, changing the subject back to Victoria.

"Emmett and Jasper chased her right to the border before she ran right to the cliffs and jumped off." She said sadly.

"So she's still out there?" I asked, making her frown.

"She won't be stupid enough to come back any time soon." Said Rose firmly.

"But she will come back?" I asked, my heart monitor increasing gradually. Rose frowned and kissed my cheek.

"It's possible." She admitted. "But she won't get to you, I'll make sure of that."

"Ok." I said, trusting Rosalie more than anything. She'd never broken my trust in her, and I loved her.

"I love you." I said hastily, making her smile hugely as she nodded softly.

"You know I love you too." She said gently, making me nod as she sighed, sitting back on the chair. My hand was still in hers and she drew absent circles on my palm.

"Did you forgive him?" she asked suddenly, her eyes flickering to mine.

Did I forgive Edward?

"I think so." I admitted, still quite confused. She just nodded and looked at my hand again.

"He's an asshole." She muttered angrily, making me smile. She just watched my face closely, a smile breaking onto her own face as she observed.

"I'll make sure he never pulls a stunt like that one again." she vowed. "I'll chase him down and rip his balls off if he so much as tries." She snarled. I gasped and stifled a laugh.

"Rose." I said, aghast. She simply shrugged and I smirked, having missed the old Rose. It had been far too long since she threatened someone like that, and it was amusing to hear.

"I would, and you know it." She said firmly, looking at me with the proud, haughty look that only she could pull off.

Yeah, she probably would.

"You really should sleep." She said suddenly, making me frown as she pressed the call button.

"And I know you're hurting." She added in an undertone, watching me with her soft golden eyes. Not contradicting her, I sighed as the nurse poked in.

"She's sore." Said Rose simply, making the nurse nod as she came to my IV. She pressed a few buttons on it and smiled gently at me.

"Well, that should help." She said happily, moving to the chart on the end of my bed. She wrote something down and Rosalie waited until she'd left before looking at me.

"She increased the morphine." She told me softly. "You'll be sleeping in no time."

"Mhm." I said, already feeling the effects of the pain medication. Rosalie smiled and put my hand down as she brushed the hair out of my face, watching as my eyes drifted shut, as if they were weighted down by lead bricks.

* * *

RPOV

Although she was hurt, exhausted, scared and quite confused, I couldn't help but feel giddy when I looked down at the sleeping human in front of me. Edward the douche bag was completely bumped from my mind for the moment as I watched her sleep, the sound of her heart monitor like music to my ears. I loved that sound, with good reason, and I knew from that sound that she was alive and breathing- something that could have very well ceased to be two days ago.

That bitch would never touch her again.

Bella had woken up a completely different person than she'd been when she went on her hasty wilderness hike. She'd gone out as a shell of the girl she'd once been, and now, she'd woken up as a confused, but genuine version of her old self. It was amazing how much Edward actually meant to her, especially considering what he did.

I hoped to God he'd learned from this, because if he didn't, he'd be having an impromptu lesson as soon as we were away from prying eyes.

Although he'd received a slap from Alice and a good punch from my better half, I thought he deserved to be pummelled to dust and forced to reassemble himself for what he'd done to not only Bella, but our family as a whole. I wanted to beat him to a pulp when he'd showed his face in the house, but I knew that once I got started I'd never be able to stop myself, and then I'd regret it later on. I knew I would have brought him as close to death as our kind could get, and afterwards, I'd feel bad for beating my brother.

Even if he was a world-class asshole.

Now that Edward was back, I couldn't help but wonder whether or not Alice's vision would come true, or whether Edward's knowledge would change it again. Would Edward, the brother I loved and hated at the same time, marry the baby I'd brought home so many years ago? Wasn't that a little creepy?

Apparently not to Edward.

And definitely not to Bella.

No matter how hard she tried to hide it, I was sure the entire house knew how she felt about the eldest Cullen son. We could all see how she admired and idolized him, and I knew that their relationship, although still developing, reached beyond the limits of friendship. He'd never been very brotherly to her, but I knew that no matter how stupidly he behaved, he still loved her.

And based on her life over the past few months, she definitely loved him.

My head was reeling with thoughts of Bella and Edward, the possible couple, when the door opened and three more figures came in.

"Hey Rosie." Whispered Emmett, coming forward. I turned to him and smiled as Alice shoved Jasper aside and bounded over, looking at Bella critically.

"She woke up." said Alice, making me nod as I smiled, remembering the first real conversation we'd had in months.

"You told her about the dogs." Added Alice, obviously amused. I smirked and shrugged. What the mutts didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

"She took it well." Said Jasper, smirking at the sleeping human.

"She's a little drugged up." I said, shrugging affectionately. Drugs scared me to bits, but these were good drugs. They kept her pain away- something I only wished I could do. Jasper just chuckled and watched her for a moment before Alice grinned at me.

"Yes." She said happily, making me frown.

"Yes what?" I asked, making her giggle.

"It's still the same." She said cryptically, making me frown.

What was she talking about?

Alice, seeing my confusion, simply rolled her eyes and shot a quick glance at Bella before it clicked.

The vision was still in place.

I let out a small snarl, and Alice giggled, not caring what sort of noises I made.

"They're so cute!" she whisper-yelled, earning her a small frown from Jasper.

"What's cute, Ali?" he asked softly, gaining Emmett's attention. The boys watched her as she simply smirked and shook her head, not wanting to tell them right now. Jasper just nodded, knowing she'd tell him later, but Emmett wasn't as lenient.

"What?" he asked, confused. I shook my head, deciding to tell him later.

"Fine." He said, mocking offense. I smirked as he leaned over Bella's face and sniffed her, smiling.

"She smells better." He decided, looking at me for confirmation. I nodded, remembering the tense moments when her smell was altered by blood transfusions flowing through her body.

"She smells like herself again." I said softly, brushing my finger over her hand.

"She'll be back soon." He said, more meaning behind his words than he knew.

Bella was already starting to come back to us, both physically and mentally.

"She loves you." Emmett told me happily, kissing me soundly before I sighed and looked at the sleeping girl, nodding my head softly.

"Yeah." I said quietly, smiling up at Emmett.

"Want to hunt?" he asked me quietly, making me frown as I glanced at Bella.

"Esme wants some privacy." Said Emmett softly, eying the door where our mother stood, watching her sleeping daughter intently.

"Sure." I said reluctantly, noticing Jasper and Alice had already left. Emmett smiled and took my hand, helping me out of the chair as we let Esme through the door.

"I'll be quick." She promised, right before Emmett led me out of the hospital and into the woods, letting Esme have her moment.

**A/N: So there's some RPOV for all of you... there was some confusion as to who threw the punch a few chapters back, but in case you misread it, it was Emmett, not Jasper who took a whack at Edward. Jasper's too gentlemanly and reserved in my mind, but both Alice and Emmett seemed to have missed the etiquette lesson.**

**There's so little to go, so PLEASE review!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 30**

Home

**A/N: Hey there readers. As you all know, DITR part 3 is coming to an end... this is the last official chapter, although there is an epilogue for tomorrow. IDK if I'll be able to post it tomorrow, since it's my 16th birthday (whoo!) but I'll try. **

**As for DITR Part 4, as I've said before, expect it sometime in the New Year (early on). I won't make you wait forever for the last installment, since I know how frustrating it is waiting for sequels.**

**If any of you are bored and looking for a well-written, LONG story, check out Emancipation Proclamation by Kharizzmatik. It's not done yet, but it's over 600 000 words so far, so it'll keep you going. And it's G-O-O-D. **

**Review please!**

BPOV

The hospital quickly became my least favourite spot on earth, and I couldn't even express how excited I was when the doctors gave me the ok to leave.

"Bella, relax." Said Alice, her chipper voice irritated as I bounced impatiently while she tried to help me into my shirt.

"Bouncing like a rabbit won't get this shirt on any faster." She said.

"Hypocrite." I muttered, earning me a playful glare before the pyjama shirt was over my head. My right hand was finally needle-free, and as soon as I was dressed, I'd be out of here. Alice smiled when my clothes were on properly and held the door open for me, making me grin as I walked out happily, almost running into Emmett.

"Careful." He warned, catching me before I stumbled. I blushed and he smirked, taking my good hand in his own large one. My broken arm was in a sling, and I couldn't help but feel annoyed at the sudden handicap I possessed.

"Ready?" asked dad, looking at me. I nodded eagerly and he smiled, making me grin back.

"How do you come here every day?" I asked, making him laugh.

"I'm not a patient." He reminded me, making me frown.

"Still." I said, shuddering at the idea of spending my free time in a bloody, disease-infested building.

"It's my element." Said dad softly, making me nod.

That's for sure. Dad was _always _working.

"Come on." Said dad, making me nod as Emmett led me forward, not daring to let go of my hand lest I fell over.

"Edward wants to take you home." Said dad suddenly, turning to me as we stepped into the elevator.

"Edward?" I asked, slightly alarmed. Edward had been by once every day since I woke up, but we were still rocky.

"Yes." He said softly. "Do you mind?"

"No." I said quickly, unsure whether or not I was lying.

I was still sure he'd leave again.

"Don't worry, kiddo." Said Emmett, patting my head happily. "He won't do anything."

"Right." I said, making him frown.

"He won't if he values his car." Said Emmett cheerfully, earning a small eye-roll from dad.

"Sure." I said, making him smirk as he led me out to the front doors, where the all-too familiar silver Volvo was waiting, parked in all its glory.

"Come on." Said Emmett, pulling me towards the car. Dad said a soft goodbye as Alice followed him out, waving at me happily.

"See you at home!" she cried as Emmett opened my door, walking off after them.

Edward watched me intently from his place in the driver's seat.

"Good morning." He said softly, staring at me. I blushed and clambered into the car as he waited for me to buckle up so we could drive.

"Hi." I said softly, letting him buckle the belt around my broken arm as gently as he could.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his eyes flickering to my sore arm.

"Ok." I said honestly, making him nod as he drove towards the house.

"Remember what the doctor said." he reminded me, making me nod quietly as he drove closer to the house.

"Rest and recuperation." He repeated, making me smirk as I nodded again.

I knew that between his panicky ways and those of everyone else in my family, I'd be in bed for at least a week.

Edward, sensing my discomfort, drove quietly, ignoring the speed limit as he pulled up to our driveway.

The silence was deafening.

Slowly, he pulled up to the house, parking in his usual spot. He hopped out of his car and before I could make myself feel inadequate, he undid my seatbelt for me.

"Thanks." I muttered, blushing as he scooped me up and carried me into the house.

"You're quite welcome." He replied, using his foot to shut his car door. He didn't put me down as he walked up to the front door- which had apparently been replaced since his rather hasty entrance with me- and I saw mom opening it for us.

"Welcome home, sweethearts." She said to both of us, earning her a smile from Edward and myself. She kissed my cheek, and being unable to resist, repeated the action on Edward's.

"I love you." She said, making me blush as she smiled at me.

"I love you too." I replied. She seemed to be speaking mentally to Edward, who simply leaned forward and returned the kiss on the cheek before he carried me into the house, looking around.

"Where to?" he asked me. I shrugged, not caring where he wanted to put me. He watched me for a long moment, looking rather hesitant.

"What?" I asked, knowing he had something more to say.

"Would you mind terribly if we went to my room?" he asked me in a rush, making me frown.

"Your room?" I asked, making sure I'd heard him right. It had been months since I'd set foot in there, but was I ready for that?

"Sure." I heard myself say without my brain's consent, making his eyes light up happily.

"Thank you." He said, abolishing all worries and insecurities. We passed Rosalie on the way up and she smiled at me before glaring at Edward- something I knew she wouldn't stop doing for a while.

Rose was definitely a grudge-holder.

We made it to the third floor quickly, and I felt the familiar pang of excitement as he turned right instead of left once we hit the landing- the opposite direction from my room.

The whitewashed door and golden handle never looked so ominous before. Without dropping or shifting me, he reached out and opened it easily, stepping inside.

Someone had obviously been cleaning in here, since there was no dust to speak of and nothing was out of place. I knew for a fact that no one had set foot in here since Edward had left, so he must have been the one cleaning while I was in the hospital.

I also noticed his couch, which was draped with a rather fluffy pillow and a duvet from the linen closet.

He'd planned this.

"Here we go." He said, placing me under the duvet gently. I felt my cheeks heat up as he moved to my feet and lifted them, sitting down under them as he watched me. He grabbed the remote for his stereo system and turned on one of his classical CDs, making me smile wistfully.

"I missed this." I admitted quietly, not looking directly at him. I knew he was staring at me, and I'd blush ten different shades of red if I met his gaze.

"So did I." he said softly, making me sigh as I nodded. We both listened to the song for a few more minutes before I found the courage to speak.

"Where did you go?" I asked quietly, making him sigh as he looked away.

"South." He said quietly, making me frown deeply.

I remembered Jasper telling me about the south and what lurked down there.

"It's dangerous down there." I said quietly, glancing up at him. His golden eyes were glued to me, and as predicted, I blushed.

"I know." He admitted softly, making me frown.

"Are you ok?" I demanded indignantly, making him smile softly.

"Fit as a fiddle." He said earnestly, making me sigh in relief.

"I know where to avoid." He admitted. "I've been around long enough to know where they meet."

"Still." I said, unhappy with his choice. He should have gone and made friends with a polar bear or sea lion instead of risk finding an army of angry vampires.

"I know." He said softly, shaking his head. "I was in Rio de Janeiro, Mexico, Texas, Peru and Chile." He said gently.

"Hot." I noted wryly, making him smile.

"I prefer the cold." He whispered, making me sigh.

"Edward?" I asked, making him turn to glance at me as he listened.

"Will you…" I started, sighing sadly as I fell silent.

"Will I…?" he prompted, not liking it when I didn't finish my thoughts. My frown deepened, but I needed to know.

"Will you leave again?" I asked sadly, trying not to cry in front of him again. He sighed heavily and watched me for a long moment.

I knew he would.

That look told me so.

"No." he said, shocking me.

"No?" I asked, making him nod as he watched me intently.

"I made a mistake." He admitted. "Leaving was never in anyone's best interest, but I've been told I'm rather headstrong."

"You are." I blurted out angrily, earning me an amused chuckle.

"Yes, I know." He said gently, making me sigh heavily.

"Please don't." I begged, making him frown as my eyes brightened with impending tears.

"I won't." he said sincerely, making me sniff.

"Promise?" I asked childishly, knowing I'd feel much better when he did.

"I promise." He vowed, making me nod as he leaned closer and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. I blushed again and he chuckled, touching the heated flesh softly with his cold finger.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, repeating what he'd said at least twice a day for the past week.

"I know you are." I said, making him frown.

"No, you don't." he said with a shake of his head. "You have no idea how sorry I am. I hurt you."

I had nothing to say.

"See?" he asked, looking right at me. "You're still upset."

"I'm fine." I protested, my wavering voice betraying me.

He was right. I was still upset by his decision to leave.

"And I'll apologize every single day for the next ten years, if need be." He said firmly, making me sigh.

"I forgave you last week." I told him sadly, earning me a small smile.

"But _I_ haven't forgiven me yet." He confided, earning him a small frown.

"Well, maybe you should." I grumbled, earning me another indulgent chuckle.

"I'm working on it." He whispered.

"Good." I replied, unable to come up with anything better. I didn't want him upset too.

"Now, Carlisle will have my head if I keep you up any longer. He says that you need to sleep." He said firmly, making me frown.

"I'm not tired dad!" I said, my voice not as loud as it could have been.

"Dad says that's too bad, because you _are _going to sleep, otherwise I'll be forcibly removed." He said with a small frown. I sighed and nodded, not wanting dad to take Edward away again.

"Have a good sleep, my Bella." He said gently, making me smile as my eyes closed.

His Bella? I could get used to that...

Without another word, the gentle voice started to hum a familiar lullaby, and as always, I was sent to sleep without a hitch.

**A/N: So there's the chapter for all of you. Someone requested Esme's POV of her hospital visit with Bella, but I've decided to make that an outtake instead.**

**Review please!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Diamond in the Rough- Chapter 31**

Promise

**A/N: Here's the epilogue for DITR part 3! We're FINISHED! Kind of sad, but oh well. All things must come to an end, this story included.**

**Is anyone else not getting their emails from the site, or is it just me? **

**ALSO: It's my birthday today! Finally 16! Too bad I can't go for my licence yet since they're all on strike. *sighs***

**Leave a review!**

EPOV

Night had finally fallen as I stared at the sleeping human, sighing heavily to myself.

What had I done to her?

She looked almost the same as she had all those months ago, but there were minor changes in her appearance. She was much thinner than before, she was paler, less energetic, and just sad. I knew these changes were my fault, as Rosalie loved to remind me every chance she got, and with that accusation, I made it my duty to ensure she was never hurt again. I'd protect her from the horrors of this world, down to the very ground she fell on, and I'd never leave her side again.

Never.

Alice's vision had been the spark for my hasty departure- the one of Bella as my wife. Looking back, I realized I'd been foolish- incredibly so- and I knew I'd made a grave mistake. I'd torn my family apart at the seams and little Bella had fallen through the cracks in the formerly tight-knit weave that supported her. Before, we'd been like a very well-knit sweater- all the strands working together to form one large, productive unit that gave the human what she needed. But then, I'd forcibly torn off the sleeves, leaving her out in the cold, and no matter how much the others tried to replace the sleeves, there just wasn't enough wool to go around.

And until last week, she'd still been slowly freezing to death in her own blizzard.

I was still a monster.

It's ironic that the reason I left was to save the angel from her premature death at my hands, and yet in the process, I'd thrust a completely different fate on her- one that was almost worse than death.

No matter. She was safe now.

Safe on _my_ couch, in _my_ room, with her head on_ my_ lap as we listened to _my_ CD.

Yes, things had changed for the better.

Only one thing nagged me now- Alice's vision.

As soon as Bella had been declared safe and out of surgery, Alice's sight had replayed the exact same vision as in the mall, and I knew I'd just been prolonging the inevitable.

Bella would be my mate- the one I'd waited nearly a century for.

Was that even possible? Could I grow to love Bella as more than my best friend? Could I love her as a husband should love his wife?

Could I share those intimacies with her?

The answer? Yes.

As much as my mind denied it, my heart knew that all these things were very possible. Alice's vision only set things into high gear, but I knew that she was right- I would marry this child sleeping before me, and I'd love her just as she deserved to be loved.

Just not yet.

She was still too young for a commitment like that, and I didn't want to push her. After all, she had no idea what Alice had foreseen in her future. She couldn't be more than eighteen in that vision…

Three years. Three years, and I'd be married.

To Bella.

How odd.

I gently stroked the soft brown hair that was splayed out on the pillow under her head, sighing heavily. It seemed almost impossible that in less than 1000 days, I'd have a wife, and a mate.

I wouldn't be alone anymore. I wouldn't be the odd one out in the family, and I could be truly happy. That's what Bella would bring to me in these next few years- true, uncensored happiness. That was an feeling I couldn't even remember. There had always been something weighing down my mind, be it thirst, instinct, loneliness or awkwardness. Never had I truly fit in with my family, all of whom were happily wedded and bedded. Listening to the errant thoughts of the happy couples always made me yearn for what I didn't have…

But things would change.

Could I accept that?

Yes. Yes I could.

I found myself growing quite eager for the future to arrive, now that I had a chance to mull it over. There was only one problem with my dream-future:

She would lose her soul.

Could I stand to be the one responsible for robbing an angel of her soul?

I didn't know, and it worried me.

"_You're over-thinking things again, Edward." _Came Jasper's thoughts, having sensed my sudden mood change.

"Sorry." I said softly, not wanting to make him uncomfortable as well.

"_She wants it." _He thought to me, making me frown. _"She doesn't consciously think about it yet, but Alice says she will soon, and she _does _want to be with you, as one of us."_

"She doesn't know what she's getting into." I said, frustrated. Jasper sighed heavily from downstairs and I heard him traipsing up, coming to face me.

"Edward." He said, opening my door slowly. He came inside and stood by my door as he watched the two of us.

"She doesn't know what she's asking for." I said, glancing at the innocent face on the pillow.

"She understands a lot more than you seem to give her credit for." Said Jasper quietly, not taking his eyes off of her.

"She doesn't know what she wants." I said softly, shaking my head. Jasper frowned and he blocked his thoughts from me.

"You don't know what she wants either." He said quietly, his gaze shifting to me instead of Bella. "You don't know how it was for her when you were gone."

"I do." I said, having seen it in everyone's mind.

"Not like we do." He said softly. "I think that if the time came for us to give her up, she wouldn't be able to handle it. If it came time for her to be married to a human, she'd pine for us. We're all she knows." He said gently, frowning sadly.

He would have made a good father.

"She'll adapt." I said softly, not liking either idea. Give up my future, or give up her soul.

Selfish, or selfless?

"That's just it." Said Jasper, taking a step closer. Slowly, he lowered himself to the floor in front of Bella as he watched her sleep, sighing slightly.

"I don't think she _would_ adapt." He murmured softly, brushing a stray hair from her eyes. "When you left, she didn't adapt. I can't even fathom how she'd react if she lost all of us."

I was silent.

"You're one person." He said bluntly. "One of the seven people she loves and cares for. She still had six of us to lean on when you were gone, but even then, she nearly lost it. Can you imagine if she lost her father, her mothers, Alice and her brothers, not to mention you?"

"No." I said honestly, Jasper's words beginning to sink in.

"Say she did move on and had a normal human life. She'd marry a man she couldn't love." He said.

"Who says she couldn't love him?" I asked sceptically, earning me a wry smile.

"She'd have to keep secrets from him for her entire life, and I think her affections are already focused elsewhere." He mumbled, making me bristle uncomfortably.

"If she went on to have children," he continued, "she'd pine for her mother. A girl's mother would be one of her main support lines during that time, since they could share the experience. Having children would be something she'd want to share with Esme, Rose and even Alice, but she'd be forced to keep both herself and her child from her family."

"The man has family too." I said reasonably, thinking of her potential mother in law.

"But that's not the family she knows, Edward." He said pointedly, looking at me patiently.

I fell silent once more.

"That child would never know it's maternal family." He said sadly. "We'd never know our niece or nephew." He said, looking at me.

I remained silent.

"She'd be forced to forget us entirely." He said softly, looking at Bella again. "We basically raised her, and she'd be forced out of our lives and into the world, alone. When her husband asks her where her family is, she'll have to make excuses for us, or even worse, claim we don't exist."

"Stealing her soul isn't any better." I mumbled, making Jasper frown as his thoughts became slightly more irritated.

"Edward, can you honestly say that a woman as sweet as Esme has no soul?" he demanded, looking at me harshly. That struck home as I watched my brother, making him smile wryly.

"Exactly." He said softly. "Maybe Carlisle's right."

"Carlisle makes mistakes." I whispered, knowing this was a battle I couldn't win.

"Perhaps it's not what we are, but how we choose to play the cards dealt to us that determines who we are." He mused, looking at me.

"I can't take that risk." I said sadly, making him frown.

"You can, and you will." He said sternly, looking at Bella closely. He stood up and looked at the two of us one last time.

"You're not the only that'll lose her. Remember that." He said, right before he left the room, leaving me to my thoughts once again.

He wouldn't change her…

Would he?

Sighing heavily to myself, I knew very well that if I refused to change Bella myself, that one of my other family members would. Jasper had just proven that to me.

Looking back at the sleeping face, I smiled softly, touching the warm, soft cheek, relishing the heat radiating off of it.

And that's when I knew, soul or no soul, Bella and I would be joined together, as man and wife for the rest of our days.

End Of Part 3

**A/N: Sniff.**

**So sad to be finished, but at least I can get a jump start on part 4 now!**

**Leave a review, and if you have any outtake suggestions for this part, send them with your comment!!**

**Look out for Part 4 in the new year!**


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